Brazilians Can Dial 192 and Get Emergency Care in 10 Minutes

At the inauguration of the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu, Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência) in the Federal District, the Minister of Health, Saraiva Felipe, said that this service represents a new concept in emergency care.

“The Samu organizes the care. While the victim is being transported in the mobile unit, the central control has already been able to find an adequate hospital bed to receive him (her), so that he(she) will not have to wander from hospital to hospital, thus aggravating his (her) condition,” the Minister affirmed.


With the inauguration of the service in the Federal District, the Samu now functions in 307 municipalities, serving nearly 68 million people. According to Saraiva Felipe, the average time it takes for the patient to receive care is 10 minutes.


“We have international models that don’t have the coverage we will have in Brazil, among other things, because they are smaller countries, but that demonstrate the importance of the ambulance itself being equipped and adequate and being a mobile emergency care unit that already provides first aid treatment,” he said.


In the Federal District, the Samu will operate with 37 ambulances: 30 basic support units and 7 intensive therapy units (UTIs), two of them equipped with neonatal units. To summon the Samu, the population can ring 192 free of charge, and the calls are answered by a central switchboard that functions 24 hours.


Another advantage of the system, according to the Minister, is the integration with other public services. The Samu staff is oriented, for example, to report information to the health surveillance agencies about increases in the number of cases of contagious diseases, such as meningitis, in a single locality.


Constant records of emergency calls involving cases of traffic accidents in a single locality will also help orient changes in traffic signals and surveillance.


The Minister added that reinforcing the partnership with the Federal District is intended to turn the federal capital into a national reference in the health sphere.


“I would like to underline our desire to make health in Brazil, especially in the Federal District, an endeavor with real significance and national repercussion,” he affirmed.


Among the initiatives taken by the two governments in partnership, Saraiva Felipe highlighted the inauguration of a unit of the Heart Institute (Incor) in the city.


“This makes Brasí­lia a national center in terms of specialized care in the area of cardiology.”


The Brasí­lia Samu was inaugurated by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as well as Health Minister, Saraiva Felipe, and the Governor of the Distrito Federal, Joaquim Roriz.


With Samu in operation, the 2.2 million inhabitants of Brasí­lia will have access to mobile pre-hospital emergency assistance. The mobile units will consist of doctors, nurses and nurse assistants.


The Samu proposal is to provide quick aid for people in risk situations following accidents or other urgent health problems anywhere in the area.


Agência Brasil

Tags:

You May Also Like

On Advice of Counsel

1. President Lula should legalize all immigrants living in Brazil. 2. Should assist Brazilians ...

Foot and Mouth Disease Is Back in Brazil

Brazilian authorities confirmed Thursday, April 20, a new outbreak of the highly contagious foot ...

Brazil’s High Tech Exports Grow 32% Led by Communications and IT

Brazilian exports of high technology products were the ones that increased the most last ...

Jeitinho Land

In cases where regulations have to be confronted, Brazilians pride themselves on being especially ...

Couromoda: Brazil’s Showcase for Shoes and Leather Goods

The fall/winter shoes collection of Brazil will be shown to shop owners in the ...

US Gets on DVD Two Masterpieces of Brazil’s Contemporary Drama

City of Men, a television series from the makers of the highly acclaimed Brazilian ...

Brazil’s Harvest to Shrink Due to Drought and Freezing

Brazil’s 2005 agricultural harvest may reach 116,341 tons. This is the fourth estimate for ...

Infant Mortality Falls in Brazil While Killing of Youngsters Shoots Up

Violence affects Brazilian children and adolescents in different ways. Consequently, different instruments and programs ...

Less than 10% of Brazilians Are Happy with Health Care, Including Private Care

Public and private health care services in Brazil are considered to be ok, poor ...

Brazil’s Economy Analysts Expecting Lower Inflation in 2006

There has been a small change in the market mood in Brazil regarding future inflation. ...