He was in horrible condition and needed to be transferred to a hospital with an ICU. Bureaucracy in Brazil is not very friendly in times of emergency as speed is not in it's dictionary.
That's where community came in. The school sent out a mass email to parents of children in the school as well as a message on the school's facebook page. It asked that if anyone could help, please contact the school.
You see, sometimes all that is keeping someone from getting to where they need to be is a signature of the head doctor who is out of the office. Something as simple as that can keep a patient from getting specialized care.
Turns out that there are some people who know someone, or know someone who knows someone because it was taken care of. The message was sent yesterday just before 1pm. With a little help from our own school community, he was transferred at 5pm the same day.
It just goes to show the idiocracy of the public medical system (although still better than no system at all USA), and how much a community can help.
As for his current condition, we have no news as of yet. Visiting hours have just ended and his family should be letting everyone know shortly.
It is unfair, but in Brazil, who do you know still matters! :(
ReplyDeletei think the american system is even worse. my friend waited the 4 hours in the emergency room and the room was empty. the nurses were reading gossip magazines. she had a very good health insurance and it was a top hospital in the area.
ReplyDeleteThe american system may have it's problems but getting into an ICU isn't a problem if needed- no matter social class or who you know. If my life was on the line I would chose that system over having to 'know' people to get the help I needed.
ReplyDeleteThank god that this system worked in favor of the boy and I really hope that he continues to receive the care he needs.
Actually it was a man. And yes, this is the public system. The private is another story.
ReplyDeleteSorry! My mistake. I hope that he doing good :)
ReplyDeleteHealth system in Brasil is really a problem, unfortunately. Things are better if we compare it to the last years but it is still a big problem for our government. But I believe that Rio's government is working on interesting approaches to change this bad reality, the construction of UPA's, Clinicas da Familia and Postos de Saude in many areas that didn't have any kind of health institutions for a long time is a great thing. The major problem maybe is still the salaries and the qualification of public doctors.Health system in Brasil is really a problem, unfortunately. Things are better if we compare it to the last years but it is still a big problem for our government. But I believe that Rio's government is working on interesting approaches to change this bad reality, the construction of UPA's, Clinicas da Familia and Postos de Saude in many areas that didn't have any kind of health institutions for a long time is a great thing. The major problem maybe is still the salaries and the qualification of public doctors.
ReplyDeleteOps, sorry Rachel, ended up posting the same thing twice...
ReplyDeleteUpa`s are actually destroying the health system they take a lot of monetary resources away from the hospitals and don`t solve anything because they don`t have the authority or equipment to deal with the problems they receive and end up sending 99% of their clients to emergency in the other hospitals ( a loss of valuable time for the patient).
ReplyDeleteAnother big problem is "medicina da familia" they apply in the posto de saude this system just can function in very small cities with a few thousands inhabitants and not in big cities like Rio de Janeiro .Unfortunately!!!
The qualification of public dr`s in many cases is as good as any other but they can`t do anything when for example they even don`t have surgery masks , anesthesia or even syringes available to them at times, if you don`t believe me you can ask the staff of Getulio Vargas and other hospitals in poor neighborhoods.
Suhaila