The Government of the Azores declared this Sunday a situation of public calamity due to Saturday’s fire at the Ponta Delgada Hospital, to “accelerate procedures” that will allow the activity of the largest Azorean health unit to be “normalized” in a “short space of time”.
“The Government Council, meeting today in an extraordinary manner, declared a state of regional public calamity for the Azores due to the fire on Saturday at the Hospital Divino Espírito Santo (HDES), in Ponta Delgada, which led to the evacuation of all patients from the unit hospital”, reads a press release from the Azorean executive (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM).
The Regional Government justifies the measure with the aim of “streamlining and accelerating procedures, particularly public procurement, which allow HDES to normalize its activity in the shortest possible time”.
The Ponta Delgada Hospital, in the Azores, affected by a fire on Saturday, has already been subject to two inspections, but there is still no forecast for resuming normal operation in the largest Azorean health unit.
The information was provided to the Lusa agency this Sunday by the regional secretary of Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, revealing that “two inspections have already been carried out throughout the afternoon and evening” on Saturday, but “it will be necessary to carry out a more detailed assessment” .
The Hospital Divino Espírito Santo (HDES) was hit on Saturday by a fire that forced the transfer of all hospitalized patients.
Mónica Seidi told Lusa that at the time of the fire “there were 333 patients in the Hospital” and “as the fire did not spread to other areas, it was possible to discharge 23” and proceed with “the transfer of 240 patients”.
Critical and seriously ill patients were transferred to the CUF hospital, in the city of Lagoa, and the rest to health centers.
In addition, 30 users undergoing hemodialysis and 26 users were transferred to Hospital da Horta, on the island of Faial, and 26 users to Hospital do Santo Espírito, on Terceira island. During today, two pregnant women will also be transferred to Madeira, according to the head of the Health department.
Mónica Seidi explained that from an electrical point of view the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (HDES) is being provided “by two generators”, but this is “a transitory response”.
As for the users who were hospitalized, in the largest health unit in the Azores, the regional secretary of Health and Social Security recalled that the patients in the most critical situation were transferred to the CUF hospital, in Lagoa, on the island of São Miguel, to health care units. intensive care and internal care