Amazonian states Roraima and Rondônia have seen their public health systems collapse, just two weeks after Manaus — the biggest city in the Amazon basin — witnessed scenes of desperation amid oxygen shortages and a lack of hospital beds.
In Rondônia, hospitals have filled all intensive care beds and have started relocating patients to other states. Meanwhile, the state government is under investigation for allegedly defrauding its ICU numbers in order to avoid implementing unpopular lockdown measures. Hildon Chaves, mayor of state capital Porto Velho, says the local network has “collapsed.”
Meanwhile, in Roraima, authorities report that the state’s intensive care units have been completely saturated for three straight days. Roraima has confirmed 835 coronavirus deaths so far — 54 of which occurred in the last three weeks.
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