According to the city hall, the unit suffered “major structural damage” and had to be closed; an elderly man died
The storm that hit part of Rio Grande do Sul between the night of this Tuesday (16.Jan.2024) and the dawn of this Wednesday (17.Jan) roofed the main hospital of São Vicente do Sul, in the micro-region of Santa Maria, approximately 378 km from Porto Alegre.
According to the city hall, the São Vicente Ferrer Municipal Hospital suffered “great damage” structures and had to be closed. According to officials, as a result of the roofing, electronic equipment was damaged and the electricity supply was interrupted. The most affected wards were the hospitalization area and the x-ray exam sector.
At least 3 patients had to be transferred to the hospital in the neighboring city, Mata, 30 km away. During the process, a 4th patient, an elderly man whose name was not disclosed and who would be transferred to Santa Maria, 90 km away, fell ill and died.
According to officials, the man was undergoing treatment for cancer and had been feeling unwell since before the rain began. His condition worsened and he died inside the ambulance in which he was to be transported under the care of a medical team.
This Wednesday morning, the mayor of São Vicente do Sul, Fernando Pahim (PP), and the vice-mayor, Luiz Antônio Ferreira dos Santos, met with the governor Eduardo Leite (PSDB), which guaranteed the necessary support for the city hall to repair the damage caused by winds of up to 115 km per hour and rain.
“Soon, the secretary [estadual] of Health, Arita Bergmann, will receive the mayor to forward an agreement to help restore the hospital roof, which was most affected, and restore, as soon as possible, normality in São Vicente do Sul, including hospital care.”said Leite.
In a note, secretary Arita Bergmann stated that the state government will provide assistance not only for the city hall to restore the hospital's roof, but also to replace damaged hospital electronic equipment, including in the UBS (Basic Health Unit).
The storm that hit Rio Grande do Sul caused at least one death, in the city of Cachoeirinha, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, and left thousands of people without electricity throughout the state, with the consequent risk of water shortages.
In the state capital alone, where 5 of the 6 water treatment plants were affected, the city council estimates that around 1.2 million people could be left without water if services are not quickly restored.
According to the state Civil Defense, as of 2pm this Wednesday, 39 cities had already reported damage or incidents related to rain and strong winds. The agency estimates that at least 4,840 people were directly affected across the state.
The state Civil Defense warns of the possibility of new storms hitting part of the state this Wednesday and Thursday (January 18).
“There is still a lot of rain forecast in the north of the state. Throughout the afternoon, instability will again gain strength. Later in the day, new storms may occur, like what happened last night. So, the entire region comprising Porto Alegre, the metropolitan region, the north coast and parts of the valleys may still experience intense rain and strong winds, especially at the end of the day, during the night and in the early hours of the morning.”said meteorologist from the State Situation Room Cátia Valente.
“With accumulated volumes of rain, there may be a hydrological response throughout today [4ª feira] it's tomorrow [5ª feira]mainly on the Caí River, on the north coast and in the Paranhana Valley, which comprises Caraá and Santo Antônio da Patrulha”said the meteorologist.
With information from Brazil Agency
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