Medical post in Ponta Delgada receives patients starting on Friday
The Red Cross anticipated the assembly of the advanced medical post, which will receive patients on Friday that were transferred to the Ponta Delgada health center following the fire at the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (HDES).
© Global Imagens
País Ponta Delgada
In statements to journalists, Manuela Filipe, from the institution's management, said that the advanced medical post, installed in the Mãe de Deus School gym, will "allow the Red Cross to receive 34 patients" who were hospitalized at the Ponta Delgada hospital and had to be transferred to the health center following the fire that broke out on Saturday at HDES, on the island of São Miguel.
The fire that broke out at the Ponta Delgada hospital on Saturday at 09:40 local time (10:40 in Lisbon), and was only declared extinguished at 16:11, forced the transfer of all patients who were hospitalized.
At the time of the fire, there were 333 patients in the healthcare establishment and it was necessary to transfer 240 to various units on the island of São Miguel, including a private hospital in Lagoa, to the hospitals on the islands of Terceira and Faial and to the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
Manuela Filipe, who spoke to journalists near the site where the advanced medical post is being installed, highlighted the "speed with which the Red Cross set up these facilities", congratulating herself on the "perfect harmony between government bodies, the national headquarters and local organizations".
"There was a lot of resilience from the [Regional] Government", stressed the head of the Red Cross, recalling that "everything was set up in 24 hours".
On Wednesday, the President of the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM), José Manuel Bolieiro, estimated that the Red Cross structure would be "operationalized this weekend".
Twelve structures were set up on site, and "it is possible to provide a reinforcement of ten more structures representing 20 more patients", with a "maximum capacity of around 50 users", according to the head of the Red Cross.
The regional emergency coordinator, Armando Almeida, said, in turn, that the care to be provided at the advanced medical post "is the same as that usually provided in a hospital context", although they are not wards.
However, he said, "safe healthcare will be provided by professionals from the hospital" in Ponta Delgada.
There will also be 12 Red Cross workers at the advanced medical post, although not permanently, and the institution "will be available for as long as necessary".
Read also: Terceira Island Hospital reorganizes services due to fire in São Miguel (Portuguese version)
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