Lack of Oxygen Leads to Panic at Urgent Care Facility East of São Paulo and Causes 3 Deaths

Health unit in Ermelino Matarazzo lacked oxygen for half an hour on Friday (19)

São Paulo

Employees at the Ermelino Matarazzo urgent care facility, on the east side of São Paulo, say that the unit lacked oxygen for at least 30 minutes on Friday night (19).

This led to the death of three patients hospitalized with Covid-19, health professionals from the clinic told Folha privately.

According to them, a lack of oxygen led to three people's deaths—one in the emergency room, another in observation, and a third while being transferred to another unit.

Officially, a total of ten patients had to be rushed to other hospitals as a preventive measure.

But sources say that it was an emergency.

"Patients were not removed as a precaution. They were really out of [oxygen]. I just wanted to be investigated further. I'm just indignant because what you're sharing is not the truth. It was a catastrophic situation," says the text of one of the messages presented by a UPA employee to Folha via WhatsApp.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

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