Pulmonology professor Carlos Carvalho, from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP), and the researchers he coordinates are preparing a request for a review of the technical note on the treatment of covid-19 in the Unified Health System (SUS), signed in January by the Secretary of Science, Technology, Innovation and Strategic Inputs in Health of the Ministry of Health, Hélio Angotti Neto. The official text, which defends ineffective drugs against the disease, such as chloroquine, and denies the certainty of vaccine benefits, goes against the guidelines approved in December by the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies (Conitec) in the SUS. These guidelines are the result of an eight-month work coordinated by Carvalho, who analyzed scientific evidence on the hospital and outpatient treatment of covid. They contraindicate the use of ineffective drugs, such as the so-called covid kit, were approved in December. In an interview with EstadãoCarvalho evaluates Angotti Neto’s decision.
What was the request of Minister of Health Marcelo Queiroga when you were invited to join the group?
Minister Marcelo Queiroga requested that a unification of information and guidelines be made for family members, patients and health teams who attended covid-19. He made it very clear that this was to be done based on science, on the best national and international scientific knowledge. The first thing he said was that we didn’t need to discuss vaccines because that was undisputed, and he wanted to be recognized as the minister who vaccinated Brazil.
How was this group composed?
More than 150 researchers from different medical societies and institutions participated in these guidelines. The result of the work was presented at Conitec meetings.
What happened at the October Conitec meeting, when the vote ended in a 6-6 tie?
When we generated the pre-hospital care document, some participants in the Conitec plenary began to complain about things they had praised in the past. Like the methodology we used and the care we took. The representative of the Secretariat of Specialized Health Care (Saes) of the Ministry of Health, Maria Inez Gadelha, said that our group had no competence.
How did you react?
I countered, but that made us both upset. The group is made up of professors from the best universities in the country. If these people from the ministry thought we were not competent, they should have warned us beforehand. That way we wouldn’t waste time. The vote ended in a tie and went to public consultation. We reviewed the document. He returned to Conitec, was approved by 7 to 6, but secretary Hélio Angotti did not publish the directive. He decided to ask for another consultation, which took place on December 28, between Christmas and New Year.
How do you evaluate the technical note published at the end of January?
The secretary rejected our work. The most absurd part of the technical note was the table that mentions the vaccine, something that the minister had not asked to be discussed. It was never on our agenda. The secretary compares chloroquine with vaccine (a form of prophylaxis) and techniques such as non-invasive ventilation and placing critically ill patients in the prone position. Scientific studies evaluating these techniques are not comparable to drug studies. The secretary made a salad and included a totally inappropriate and absurd table.
Are you preparing to challenge this note?
We are making a response and a request for review. We request the publication of guidelines that contraindicate the use of ineffective drugs. The sooner this occurs, the population and health professionals can be informed with a document validated by the Ministry of Health to support treatment.
In this episode of the covid kit, what can Brazil not forget?
We cannot forget how we waste time discussing an unjustifiable matter. It’s been a year and a half since science proved that the covid kit would not be useful. Even so, they kept insisting on meaningless alternative treatment.
The information is from the newspaper. The State of São Paulo.
know more
+ SP: Man dies standing, leaning against car, and scene scares residents on the coast
+ One twin became vegan, the other ate meat. Check the result
+ Reincarnation in history: an age-old belief
+ Andressa Urach asks for money on the internet: ‘Help me pay my card bill’
+ Horoscope: check today’s forecast for your sign
+ CNH: see what you need to know for the application and renewal
+ See which were the most stolen cars in SP in 2021
+ Expedition identifies giant squid responsible for ship sinking in 2011
+ Everything you need to know before buying a crockpot
+ US Agency warns: never wash raw chicken meat
+ What is known about fluorone?
+ Trick to squeeze lemons becomes a craze on social media
+ IPVA 2022 SP: see how to consult and pay the tax
#Covid #kit #unjustifiable #waste #time #ISTOÉ #DINHEIRO