Public hospital capacity compromised by unfinished works

Some of the main public hospitals in São Paulo are experiencing a reduction in capacity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hospital Emílio Ribas — considered Latin America’s leading treatment center for infectious diseases — would have 130 additional hospital beds if renovation works supposed to end in 2016 had been completed. More than BRL 160 million (USD 30.5 million) has been spent on the project since construction began in 2014.

São Paulo’s State Health Secretariat said it is increasing the pace of construction works in public hospitals, but that it has already tripled the number of available intensive care beds. Emílio Ribas is currently operating at full capacity — and 100 percent of its intensive care beds are being occupied by coronavirus patients.

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