Following the fire in Santa Maria, 118 remain hospitalized.
Of these, 20 have severe burns and are part of a group of 75 people who are in critical condition, at risk of death; the National Health System (SUS) will reinforce care for patients and their families, assures the Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha.
Mariana Jungmann
Special Correspondent for Agência Brasil
Santa Maria (RS) - Approximately 55 hours after the fire at the Kiss nightclub that left 231 dead, 118 patients remain hospitalized in Santa Maria or the state capital, Porto Alegre. Of these, 20 have severe burns and are part of a group of 75 people who are in critical condition, at risk of death.
The number of hospitalized patients with less serious problems, however, decreased and six people were discharged from yesterday to today (29). The Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, and the Health Department of the municipality of Santa Maria are giving special attention to patients who are still at risk of dying, but are celebrating that no new deaths have been recorded among those injured after the fire.
"We have 75 patients who are in critical condition, need attention, and could die. But, in a tragedy like this, managing 54 hours without deaths is very good, very important," the minister said this morning.
Health authorities maintain the practice of transferring patients from Santa Maria to Porto Alegre in order to reserve beds for new cases of chemical pneumonitis that may arise. According to the minister, up to six days after inhaling the toxic smoke from the fire, people may experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and coughing, which tend to rapidly progress to respiratory failure.
A crisis management committee has been set up at Hospital Caridade in Santa Maria to monitor patients at risk of death and any new cases of pneumonitis that may arise. In addition, the committee, composed of doctors and health authorities, is also working to provide support to the families of those who died in the fire.
According to Padilha, a mapping exercise has already been carried out to locate the families who lost relatives so that they can receive psychological support. The Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), where most of the young people who died in the fire studied, has already provided the addresses of students from other municipalities, and the city halls of those cities have already been contacted to offer support to the families.
"The CAPS [Psychosocial Support Center] in Santa Maria is operating 24 hours a day with emergency care for family and friends who are experiencing some kind of emotional distress. We also have great support from a group at PUC [Pontifical Catholic University] of Rio Grande do Sul that worked on the tragedy of the Twin Towers and specializes in providing psychological support to patients with traumas like this," said the minister.
Padilha is traveling to Porto Alegre today to monitor the situation of patients hospitalized in the capital, but will return to Santa Maria in the afternoon. There is no date yet for when the minister will leave Rio Grande do Sul.
The National Health System (SUS) task force will reinforce care for patients and their families, the minister assures.
Santa Maria's Diary - The Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, guaranteed in a press conference this Tuesday morning, in front of the Hospital de Caridade de Santa Maria, that the National Force of the SUS (Unified Health System) will further reinforce the care provided to patients affected by the fire at the Kiss nightclub and to the families of the deceased.
According to him, 65 people remain hospitalized in Santa Maria and 53 in Porto Alegre. Of these, 27 patients are on mechanical ventilation and 75 are in critical condition.
Padilha, who before starting the press conference gave a strong hug to Major Gerson da Rosa Pereira of the Fire Department, once again warned about the possibility of symptoms of chemical pneumonitis appearing in young people who inhaled smoke during the fire, up to 72 hours after the tragedy.
Anyone experiencing a dry cough, shortness of breath, or fatigue should immediately seek care at the UPA (Emergency Care Unit) in the Perpétuo Socorro neighborhood, the PA (Emergency Room) in the Patronato neighborhood, or the nearest health unit. The minister emphasized that the condition can rapidly progress to respiratory failure.
In Santa Maria, support for families is concentrated at CAPS 2, located on Avenida Borges de Medeiros, with professionals available 24 hours a day. In Porto Alegre, a task force with a group from PUC (Pontifical Catholic University) is expected to begin operating today to assist families.