There are cases of internees who have been waiting for three weeks; hospital management says a new surgical saw was purchased, but has not yet been delivered
The turn of the year for history teacher Antônio José da Silva, 56, did not go as planned. With severe chest pains, he was admitted to hospital on the 3rd of State Civil Servants Hospital (HPSE), South Area of St. Paul. Tests have shown that one of his arteries is more than 97% blocked. “The doctor said he would have to have heart bypass surgery or else he would be at risk of having a heart attack,” he says. Two weeks later, the operation still hasn’t taken place.
Patients and family members of patients say so heart surgery they have been stranded ever since a surgical saw, used to cut through chest bones during procedures, broke. There are cases of people waiting for the operation for at least three weeks, as not everyone in the queue was seen before the equipment became inoperable.
The hospital management says that the saw procedures were performed until last 12 and that the new equipment was purchased in October, but has not yet been delivered. It also states that it has determined the care of elective heart surgery cases requiring the use of a sagittal saw (technical name of the equipment) at other hospitals, but does not specify a date for the transfer of patients.
“They haven’t provided an estimate of when the equipment should arrive, so I have to stay here, wait,” says Antônio. A resident of São Carlos, more than 200 km from the capital, the professor is alone in the hospital and hopes to be operated on at least until the end of the month. “If I don’t do it fast enough, I could face a bigger problem.”
According to him, in the ward where he is hospitalized alone there are at least five patients waiting in a similar situation. “Like me, they can’t be discharged because without surgery they risk their lives,” says the professor. The total number of people on the waiting list was not disclosed to the report by hospital management.
Hospitalized for two months in hospital, the 61-year-old pensioner Ismael Campos received the indication that he would have to undergo valve replacement surgery in heart three weeks ago. He joined the waiting list and the operation was scheduled for the 13th. The day before, however, the saw broke.
Since then, the patient has not even received a forecast of when the surgery will take place. “Ismael’s case is even more specific, since it was a surgical recurrence”, says the patient’s wife, Regina, 56 years old. The couple lives in Bragança Paulista, in the interior. “We’re not sure when we’re going home.”
Scratches
The case is similar to that of the 74-year-old retiree Maria José Moreira. She hospitalized for nearly four months, she has had heart surgery scheduled for the last week. However, the operation was canceled due to problems with the surgical saw. With a condition aggravated by obesity, Maria is another in line.
In addition to the risk of contagion, for the duration of the hospital stay, the postponement of cardiac surgery may coincide with the worsening of the clinical conditions. Therefore, patients and family members of hospitalized patients require rapid transfer of hospitalized patients if on-site operations cannot be performed.
What the Server Hospital says
In a statement, the management of the State Hospital specified that it had already determined the treatment of elective heart surgery cases that require the use of a sagittal saw in a network accredited by the Institute of Health Assistance to State Public Personnel (Iampse). The dates of the transfers were not specified in the report or communicated to the detainees.
“All hospitalized patients are under specialized care and assistance, according to the clinical picture,” the hospital says. The institute’s management also says that the procedures with the saw were carried out until last 12, when, he continues, the equipment purchased last October should have already been delivered. “Measures to speed up the receipt of material purchased last year have already been taken by the hospital to regulate treatment”.
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
