The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro (PL), said this Thursday (9), in an exclusive interview to CNN, that despite the low number of hospitalizations, the flu epidemic is serious on an outpatient basis.
The statement comes after recognition of the epidemic by the State Department of Health. In a note sent early this Thursday afternoon, they say they have put “the contingency plan for an influenza epidemic into practice.”
“There are very few hospitalizations. It’s a lot in the outpatient clinic. It is serious in the outpatient clinic, but there are no deaths. It really needs more places for outpatient care, and we are opening more places”, said Castro.
After a jump of 2,647% in flu care at the state Emergency Care Units (UPAs) in recent weeks, the government installed tents in the UPAs of Marechal Hermes, Tijuca and Botafogo, and is preparing the same in the UPAs Penha and Jacarepaguá, in West Zone.
Castro claims that the definition of an Influenza epidemic only intensifies work that was already being done. “Actually, it doesn’t change much, because we already had the campaign structures in the state. It means increasing work, increasing service, and increasing service locations,” he said.
He declined to comment on the fact that the city made its first public statement on the matter only this Thursday afternoon (December 9,), when at a press conference, Mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD) recognized the epidemic in the city. . “I’m not a doctor, I can’t say if it took or not”, he added.
Reference: CNN Brasil
