National Journal – Ready UPAs do not work; prefectures do not have money



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The edition of this Monday begins with a sad and symbolic example of the consequences of a lack of planning in the use of taxpayer money. Money intended for public health

The 24-hour emergency care unit was built in 2014. It cost R $ 2 million to the Ministry of Health. Health. The post would serve patients from at least ten districts of Votorantim, in the interior of São Paulo. But to date, he has not answered anyone.

"Everyone was happy, everyone was aware that something was going to happen or even be inaugurated. That is, one does not know when to inaugurate or inaugurate, "says retired Valdir Duarte

In the same city, another UPA is ready since 2013 and has never opened the gates . The forest is growing, the rust begins to damage the structure and the dirt on the facade shows that the vandals are still walking there.

"Only in one of the units, which is a little further, only in, to get out today," said Carlos Laino, Secretary of Planning and Development Votorantim

According to the Ministry of Health, 145 UPAs are ready, but closed, across the country, due to deterioration and theft, about R4,500,000. The money needed to build the buildings comes from the National Health Fund and the municipalities are responsible for the purchase of equipment and maintenance of the service day and night. And most of these UPAs are closed because prefectures do not have money.

"If from the beginning I knew I could not hold a position, then why did you accept the money?" I could tell you that I would prefer to have a house, a school, but if you don & # 39; 39, do not have money to keep, why would you accept the money? "

The Ministry of Health indicates that in the state of São Paulo, in the last ten years , 75 requests for installation of new emergency care units were canceled.

But now, a decree of the federal government gives one more chance to municipalities that have buildings in this situation. Municipalities can continue with UPA buildings without returning the money from work, as long as the unit is used for health care.

Only in the interior of São Paulo, in at least ten cities, the buildings erected for the UPA implantation is being adapted to other services health.

In Jaú and Lins, the buildings remain closed. But the prefectures plan to create health posts and basic units, which cost less. At Paraguaçu Paulista, the Upa building has become a center of examination. In Pederneiras, the UPA has only worked for ten months and is now a diagnostic center.

The Ministry of Health also reported that in addition to these closed APUs, nearly 1,000 basic health units are ready and not functioning in Brazil. In these positions, the population would receive drugs and first calls. The budget for maintenance is borne by the federal government, states and prefectures.

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