Transition speaks of chaos in health, lack of data and says that the pandemic is not over

The transitional government of president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said that there is a scenario of chaos in health in the country, complained about the lack of data, the importance of vaccination and said that the pandemic is not over.

The statements were made by former ministers of the portfolio and members of the technical health group Arthur Chioro, Humberto Costa (PT) and José Gomes Temporão at the CCBB (Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil), where the transitional government is based, in Brasíla . They were accompanied by the transition coordinator, Aloizio Mercadante (PT).

One of the main demands of the group was to reinforce the need for R$ 22.7 billion in the Health budget to guarantee the minimum functioning of public services.

“We are talking about more than health insecurity. We are talking about chaos,” Chioro told reporters this morning.

In this scenario described by the former ministers, there is, for example, the return of hospitalization of children and babies with severe malnutrition and hunger.

Such as Sheet As shown, the Jair Bolsonaro government (PL) sent the Budget proposal for 2023 with a forecast cut of 42% in the discretionary funds of the Ministry of Health, used in the purchase of materials, equipment and for investments.

Mercadante, in turn, said it was the Brazilian State’s obligation to prove treatments, not to interrupt them, and to have public responsibility for people’s health. And he asked, once again, for the sensitivity of parliamentarians to approve this slice of the budget in the PEC (Proposal for Amendment to the Constitution) of the Transition.

The proposal is seen by the PT as fundamental to guarantee the fulfillment of electoral promises, it only has a chance of being approved if it has a maximum period of two years. For now, it’s stuck in the Senate.

During the press conference this morning, the former ministers gave an overview of the meetings with Marcelo Queiroga and the top echelon of Health, in addition to points raised by the TCU (Union Court of Auditors).

The team pointed out special concern with the lack of data in the folder, such as, for example, the validity of the stock of vaccines. According to reports, only control bodies have this information.

“We were unable to identify in the information that was passed on to us issues that are fundamental from a health point of view regarding the possibility of planning this transition, specifically two pieces of information are fundamental: what is the size of the stock, how long does it last, and what period of validity”, said Chioro.

“What surprises us, is part of the diagnosis, we are now seeking confirmation of this information, is the total lack of action planning for 2023”, he added.

“What the managers report is that the data contained in the information system does not correspond to reality. The municipalities are unable to inform what is done, the doses that are applied. It is a total disorganization”, he said.

In the absence of planning, he cited as an example the fact that the Butantan Institute, which supplies the vast majority of immunizers in the country, does not yet have a schedule of doses that Health will request for next year.

With regard to Covid-19, Senator Humberto Costa (PT-PE) raised the alarm about the increase in cases and deaths, and said: “The pandemic is not over”.

He said that there are currently 35 million known cases, but that there must be underreporting in the number. In the last 24 hours, there were 102 deaths from the coronavirus. Costa highlighted the importance of immunization and showed that vaccination falls short of what is desired, including for children.

The transition group expressed concern about Covid-19 vaccine doses that may be missed in the coming months due to lack of planning.

“We have information that millions of doses, which we want to prove through the request for documentation we are making, millions of doses of vaccine for Covid have an expiration date to expire now at the end of the year and especially in the first weeks of January, from February 2023. It’s a serious situation,” said Chioro.