Court orders doctors to perform surgeries on babies.

Tocantins 247 - Six hours after the filing of a Public Civil Action, the Court granted the request of the State Public Prosecutor's Office (MPE), in the early hours of Saturday to Sunday, the 22nd, and ordered that surgical procedures be performed on newborns hospitalized at the Dona Regina Hospital, in Palmas, within a maximum period of 48 hours. The hospital's management was notified during the early hours of the morning.

According to information from the Public Prosecutor's Office, six children hospitalized in the Children's Unit need to undergo urgent/emergency surgeries, but these could not be performed due to the suspension of medical services, under the allegation that they had already completed their working hours. For this reason, the newborns are at risk of death. The situation is considered extremely serious and, according to Public Prosecutor Ceres Gonzaga, who is responsible for the 19th Public Prosecutor's Office of the Capital, the doctors refuse to comply with the schedule drawn up by the management and the extra shifts, justifying the refusal due to the aforementioned working hours.

Considering the complexity of the matter and the State's obligation to provide healthcare, the Duty Judge, Lauro Augusto Moreira Maia, issued a preliminary injunction around 2:30 am last Sunday, the 22nd, ordering the State of Tocantins to provide, within a maximum period of 48 hours, all medical and hospital assistance for the babies mentioned in the lawsuit and to define a duty roster so that there is no shortage of doctors, which would aggravate the risks to the lives of the newborns.

Therefore, the State may proceed with the transfer of these professionals from one hospital unit to another, temporarily or permanently. If the doctors refuse to perform the procedure, the Judge emphasizes that the Secretary of Health must initiate disciplinary administrative proceedings against them. In case of non-compliance with the court order, criminal, civil and administrative measures, among others, will be adopted.

According to the Public Prosecutor, the State Health Secretariat reported that it has already requested the professionals, attaching the aforementioned court order, so that the procedures can be carried out. The agency also informed the State Public Prosecutor's Office that it is taking the necessary measures to refer one of the children, who needs heart surgery, for treatment outside the state. "A neurosurgeon guaranteed that he will perform two surgeries at the hospital between today and tomorrow," said Ceres. (With information from the MPE)