The Ponta Delgada hospital in the Azores, which was damaged by a fire on Saturday, has already undergone two inspections, but there are still no forecasts for the resumption of normal work at the largest Azorean medical institution.
The information was provided to the Lusa agency this Sunday by the regional secretary of health and social welfare, Monica Seydi. It said “two inspections have already been carried out this afternoon and evening” on Saturday, but “a more detailed assessment will need to be carried out”.
The Divino Espirito Santo Hospital (HDES) was damaged on Saturday by a fire that forced the transfer of all hospitalized patients.
Monica Seydi told Lusa that at the time of the fire, “there were 333 patients in the hospital” and “since the fire did not spread to other rooms, it was possible to discharge 23” and begin to “transfer 240 patients.”
Critical and seriously ill patients were transferred to the CUF hospital in the city of Lagoa, while the rest were transferred to medical centers.
In addition, 30 hemodialysis users and 26 users were transferred to Hospital da Orta on the island of Faial, and 26 users were transferred to Hospital Santo Espiritu on the island of Terceira.
Two pregnant women will also be transferred to Madeira this Sunday, the head of the health department said.
Mónica Seydi explained that from an electrical point of view, the Hospital Divino Espirito Santo (HDES) is supplied with “two generators”, but this is a “temporary reaction”.
Regarding the users who were hospitalized in the largest health facility in the Azores, the regional secretary of health and social welfare recalled that patients in the most critical condition were transferred to the CUF hospital in Lagoa, on the island of São Miguel. , in intensive care and intermediate care units, as well as in neonatology.
Pregnant women in the obstetrics department of the Ponta Delgada hospital and other patients were also transferred to health centers on the island of São Miguel for inpatient treatment.
“There are about 110 patients at the San Miguel Island unit headquarters in Ponta Delgada,” a government official told Lusa.
On the other hand, “to guarantee the care of the CUF Hospital in terms of intensive care, it was also decided to transfer to the Terceira Island Hospital the three patients admitted to this service”, added Mónica Seydi, pointing out that the Terceira Medical Unit “still has the capacity to receive more patients” if necessary.
A fire at the Ponta Delgada hospital led to the closure of the emergency department, maternity ward and operating room.
Regarding the two pregnant women who will travel to Madeira, Monica Seydi explained that the patients “were admitted” to the Ponta Delgada hospital and “may end up needing a different type of care.”
“But as soon as they are stabilized, this transfer will be carried out in a preventive manner,” he explained, recalling that there is already a protocol with the Regional Health Service of the Azores and Madeira, through which “several premature babies and several pregnant women have been transferred over the past year women in such circumstances” to the Madeira Archipelago.
The Azores health portfolio holder also left a “reassuring” message, noting that a telephone line had been set up on Saturday to provide information to the families of patients admitted to the Ponta Delgada hospital who had been transferred to other wards due to the fire. .
This line operated at HDES until 23:30 local time (00:30 in Lisbon), and contact details for the São Miguel Island Medical Unit were also published on social media.
“These two institutions have a list of patients and the place where they will be hospitalized,” he explained.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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