Brazil has recorded 29 nursing professionals dead and 3.661 off work due to Covid-19.
"It is a serious situation that requires immediate measures to prevent mass illness among professionals, which could be catastrophic not only for those directly affected, but for the health system itself," says the president of Cofen, Manoel Neri.
Rodrigo Gomes, Current Brazil Network - The Federal Nursing Council (Cofen) registered, until yesterday (15), 29 nursing professionals dead and 3.661 removed from their duties in suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19. Of these, 83% are women and 38% are in the 31 to 40 age range. Of the total, 454 cases of absence and 16 deaths have confirmation of infection. “It is a serious situation, which requires immediate measures to avoid mass illness of professionals, which could be catastrophic not only for those directly affected, but for the health system itself,” said the president of Cofen, Manoel Neri.
The highest number of cases was recorded in the state of São Paulo, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, where 1.125 nursing professionals are absent from their duties, both in the public and private sectors.
Next comes Rio de Janeiro, with 894 cases, Santa Catarina, with 311 cases, Minas Gerais, with 212, Rio Grande do Sul, with 206, Ceará, with 188, and Bahia with 102. All other states are below 100 cases. Most deaths were of nursing assistants and technicians, occurring mainly in São Paulo (13).
The seriousness of the situation stems mainly from the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for nursing professionals. “The truth is, we work in fear. The government wasn't prepared. There was no action taken to ensure the safety of those providing care, no stock of equipment, masks, or gowns. Everything is lacking. It seems like they only need beds, that they don't need us,” lamented a nursing professional from the capital of São Paulo, speaking anonymously.
Sao Paulo leads
In the city, 16 health workers have died and nearly 600 have been removed from their duties since March 15.
Between March 13 and April 13, Cofen and its regional representatives received 3.658 complaints regarding a lack of PPE, restrictions on the use or reuse of disposable materials due to scarcity, and prohibitions on the use of existing materials in healthcare units to avoid causing panic among the population served. There were also reports of nursing professionals being instructed to purchase their own safety equipment.
Once again, the highest number of complaints came from the state of São Paulo: 1.191. This was followed by Rio de Janeiro (368), Rio Grande do Sul (279), Pernambuco (169), and Minas Gerais (123). The regional councils also carried out inspections in health units throughout the country and collected complaints from nearly 23 nursing professionals reporting a lack of PPE, including the N95 protective mask, which is more suitable for caring for patients suspected or confirmed to have coronavirus.