Half the population has lost everything and the health network of Canoas (RS) is almost destroyed, says the mayor

With over 91 thousand people in shelters, the city of Rio Grande do Sul is one of the cities most affected by the Rio Grande do Sul storms

Practically half the population of Canoas (RS) lost everything due to the floods that hit Rio Grande do Sul since the end of April. This was stated by Jairo Jorge (PSD), mayor of the municipality, the third largest in the state, which has not yet had the opportunity to calculate all the damage caused by the storms.

“About 155,000 people have suffered a total or very significant loss and will have to start almost from scratch,” he said in an interview with Terra. Canoas has 347,657 residents, according to the 2022 census.

With 19 confirmed deaths up to Monday the 13th, more than double Friday the 10th, when eight deaths had occurred, and 17 people still missing, since then the city has already received more than 66 thousand requests for help. the beginning of the rains. With more rain and strong winds this weekend in the Porto Alegre metropolitan region, Canoas continues to issue orders for residents to leave their homes. This Sunday, the mayor announced that river levels in the region could rise up to 5.5 metres.

Aerial images show Canoas underwater days after rain in RS:

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  Aerial images show canoes underwater days after rain in RS

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  “The situation will continue to worsen,” warns Eduardo Leite about the situation in the RS

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  A road collapses after rain in Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul

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  Part of the bridge collapses over the Rio Caí and the BR-116 is partially blocked in RS

“Many people did not believe that the water would arrive with this force. Today we have two thirds of the city under evacuation orders. Two thirds of the city are concentrated on the entire eastern part of Canoas”, reports the mayor. The neighborhoods currently on alert, according to the municipal administration, are Rio Branco, Fátima, Mato Grande, Harmonia, Mathias Velho, São Luis and Niterói.

More than 90,000 people had to take refuge in one of the hundred shelters set up around the city, which saw part of its infrastructure disappear. In addition to the protective levees that broke due to the force of the floods, the mayor points out that Canoas has completely lost 41 of its 83 early childhood education schools. The greatest impact, however, was felt in the healthcare sector: three of the four emergency units (UPA) and 19 of the 27 basic healthcare units (UBS) were also destroyed.

Reinforcement

Last Thursday, the 9th, construction began on a second field hospital to provide assistance to Canoas. The unit will operate next to the Nossa Senhora das Graças Hospital, in Av. Santos Ferreira, 1864, Bairro Marechal Rondon. Military personnel from Brasilia, Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul work on the installation of the health unit.

The services available at the Field Hospital will be: stabilization beds, a surgical room for simple operations, eight observation and medication beds, radiology laboratories and clinical analyses. Since last Sunday, the 5th, Canoas already has a field hospital, set up next to the Lutheran University of Brazil (Ulbra), where screenings are carried out by Red Cross teams and care is provided by the SUS National Force specialized in floods.

The vice mayor of a city in Rio Grande do Sul helps save a horse from floods in Canoas (RS):

In addition to aid in the health sector, the mayor underlines that the city needs food baskets, blankets, hygiene and cleaning materials. A food hamper distribution center has been set up to speed up service for those who cannot purchase items in the markets. He also underlines that, contrary to numerous false publications on social networks, the municipality does not block the help of volunteers or accept donations for itself.

According to the mayor, some emergency measures announced by the state and federal governments are essential, but “they cannot stop here”. He cites the unfreezing of withdrawals from the Service Time Guarantee Fund (FGTS) as a relevant measure for the moment, but believes that it is necessary to think about more alternatives.

“I think it will be necessary to create aid for furniture, aid for renovations. Because people have lost stoves, refrigerators. How will they finance all this? There are people who had wooden houses here and it’s not easy to start from scratch” , he states. Jairo hopes to meet with representatives of the state and federal governments this week to discuss the issue.

A road collapses after the rain in Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul:

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.