The Ministry of Health is considering granting an adaptation period of 30 days for the end of the Public Health Emergency of National Importance (ESPIN), instituted in February 2020 due to Covid-19. However, this period is inadequate, according to the assessment of the president of the National Council of Health Secretaries (Conass), Nésio Fernandes.
In an interview with CNN this Monday (18), Fernandes stated that it is necessary to “build” the end of the state of emergency, with communication strategies and an immunization plan, among other measures. Thus, according to the president of Conass, a period of 90 days until the total lifting of this decree would be more appropriate.
The decision to end ESPIN was announced by the Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, in a speech to the nation on Sunday (17).
“A post-state of emergency recovery plan needs to be built. We live in a period of rehabilitation, but there is still a death every 14 minutes. There would be 35,000 deaths a year”, pointed out Nésio.
He understands that the end of this period is an achievement of vaccination, mainly by the Unified Health System (SUS), but that a longer period is needed.
“A survey of the state of emergency without an adequate communication plan and vaccination strategy that can restore the pace of vaccination harms the country in managing the pandemic,” he added during the interview.
The president of Conass highlighted the need to expand the coverage of the third dose of vaccines against Covid and explained that the population’s perception of risk is linked to the behavior of the disease and how the authorities communicate the real risk of the disease to the population.
In addition, Fernandes highlighted that medicines for the treatment of Covid-19 incorporated into the SUS have not yet reached public hospitals, which can take between 15 and 21 days.
*see the full interview in the video above
Source: CNN Brasil
