Also the health minister of the state of São Paulo, Jean Carlo Gorinchteyn, made an urgent appeal to the government in a press conference. “We need the support of the federal government. It is necessary not only for São Paulo, but for the whole country.” The governor of the state spoke of “irresponsible” policies and of “neglect” of the population.
The federal health secretary said he expects a shipment of anesthetics to enter the country within ten days, now that a contract has been signed with the Pan-American Health Organization. There are talks with, among others, Spain about emergency aid. Logistical problems in delivering oxygen to hospitals remain “a daily concern”, he says.
Brazilian variant
There were already big ones in January oxygen deficiencies in the Amazon city of Manaus. A new corona variant emerged in that region, which quickly resulted in many infections. Due to a shortage of beds and oxygen bottles, doctors had to choose which patient could be on ventilation and which not. Desperate relatives of patients went in search of oxygen bottles themselves. Even now, family members are calling on a medical institution to make anesthetics and oxygen available.
The Brazilian variant, also known as the P1 variant, appears to be more contagious than the corona variant that caused many victims last year. Still, according to MSF director Meinie Nicolai, politicians are mainly responsible for the chaos in the country. “The P1 variant is certainly a problem, but it does not explain the situation in Brazil.”
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