Users of the Famalicão home who on Saturday ran out of employees due to the covid-19 will today be transferred to the Military Hospital of Porto, an official source from the Famalicense municipality told Lusa.
At stake are “32 users” and a process that will start “soon, even today”, with transport between Famalicão, in the district of Braga, and Porto provided “by ambulances from corporations in the municipality [de Famalicão], in the case of elderly people without mobility, and by military vehicles ”, said the same source.
The solution for home users who ran out of employees after the 18 who work there were “either tested positive for coronavirus or quarantined” was “agreed upon between the Câmara de Famalicão, the Braga Civil Protection and the authorities of health ”, he added.
A source from the Famalicão Chamber also explained that it is the District Civil Protection that is coordinating the transport between Cavalões, Famalicão, and that hospital unit in Porto, located at a distance of about 45 kilometers and 40 minutes.
On Saturday, the owner and manager of the Pratinha Residence, Teresa Pedrosa, told Lusa that, given the situation of 18 employees of that equipment, the 33 users were being accompanied by her, the technical director, “who is pregnant”, and a nurse.
The person in charge of the home asked for help to reintegrate users or find people “to help”.
According to Teresa Pedrosa, Social Security said that, as it concerns “a private home, the case must be dealt with by Public Health”.
“The health delegate said that we have to stay with them, which is impossible,” said the official.
The oldest user is 94 years old and the youngest 55, “but has HIV”. “They are high-risk people,” he warned.
The Regional Health Administration of the North (ARS-N) clarified today that the authorities determined “procedures for pandemic control” in the Famalicão home after information about “case / s with a compatible condition” of infection.
In a statement, ARS-N highlighted that, “among other measures, the prophylactic isolation and active surveillance of all users and professionals of the institution were determined, as close contacts of the identified cases” in the home.
According to ARS-N, “following the determined measures, the institution established articulation with the local Chamber and the director of the Braga Social Security District Center, in order to ensure the care of users”.
The Minister of Health said today that these institutions must have contingency plans to respond to the pandemic.
“We are concerned about the circumstance that is occurring concretely in Famalicão, as these institutions, which are private institutions or IPSS, have to have a contingency plan”, which “they had to have thought”, following information disclosed “there are enough days, not to mention weeks, ”said Marta Temido.
The minister gave as an example the need for teams to work in shifts or for “second-line” human resources prepared for the possibility of being called.
Portugal has 14 confirmed deaths associated with the covid-19 virus, two more than on Saturday, and 1,600 infected people, according to today’s bulletin from the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
News updated at 22h01 with more information.
–
