Families try to invade children's hospital in Brasilia after delay in care

Summary Families attempted to invade the Maternal and Child Hospital of Brasília after hours of waiting for care, amid high demand and critical occupancy; staff claim they followed medical priority protocols.

An episode of confusion and revolt by families seeking medical care for their children at the Maternal and Child Hospital of Brasília (Hmib) , in Brasília (DF), marked the early hours of this Tuesday, the 13th. With the pediatric emergency room full and after hours of waiting, the families tried to invade the place, forced entry and kicked doors . The unit claims that it followed the criteria of medical priority.

The confusion began around 10 pm, when hospital staff announced that high demand would mean that only cases classified as serious would be treated. A crowd formed at the entrance to the offices and then people tried to force open the door.

Security guards acted to contain the situation and prevent entry. The Military Police were also called.

Mothers told TV Globo that they had arrived at the hospital early. One of them was carrying her two-year-old daughter, who had a lung infection. Hours after arriving at the unit, the woman was informed that her daughter, classified as a yellow priority case (the third most serious on the hospital's scale), would not be treated.

Another mother, who had arrived earlier, waited for six hours for treatment. Her daughter, who had been vomiting for days, was unable to eat.

Contacted by Terra , the Federal District Health Department (SES-DF) reported that it was necessary to activate the Orange Flag protocol at HMIB, at 9:40 pm, due to the high demand at healthcare units.

The secretariat reported that the hospital recorded an occupancy rate of 108% in the wards and 126% in the pediatric emergency room, with children in serious condition awaiting transfer to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, "all already duly regulated by the Regulatory Complex".

According to the department, throughout the night, four pediatricians were on duty, dividing their time between emergency care, care for patients admitted to the wards and serious cases in the emergency room itself.

Regarding the priority scale, the SES-DF explained that emergency care follows the Risk Classification Protocol, which prioritizes patients at imminent risk of death or serious health problems. Given the severity and high demand for emergency cases, patients classified as green and yellow (low and medium priority, respectively) faced prolonged waiting times, "which, unfortunately, generated dissatisfaction among some companions."

The department states that there was no refusal of care, but rather the application of medical priority protocols, "in accordance with the standards of the Ministry of Health and the State Health Department of the Federal District". "Every child classified as an emergency (red or orange) received immediate and continuous care".

"We advise that, in less serious situations, those responsible seek, whenever possible, the nearest basic health units (UBSs) or UPAs, to ensure that serious cases can receive comprehensive and timely assistance", concludes the note.