Health transforms COVID-19 intensive care beds into permanent SUS

Today, Thursday (14) the Ministry of Health published a decree converting 6,400 beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) exclusively for the COVID-19 virus into the conventional intensive care beds of the Unified Health System (SUS), which will be used in the treatment of various diseases. .

In practice, according to the volume, the procedure increases the number of intensive care beds in Brazil’s highly complex medical care. The change was officially made in the Official Gazette (DOU).

The initiative was agreed between the federal government, the National Board of Health Trustees (CONAS) and the National Board of Municipal Health Secretaries (CONASMES), with an emphasis on increasing the supply of other patients who need other intensive care unrelated to Covid-19.

The change also occurs “after the significant decrease in the number of cases and hospitalizations from the disease, which caused a decrease in the occupancy rate of these beds for Covid-19 patients, as a result of the success and the wide commitment of the population to the vaccination campaign against the disease.” He informed the Ministry.

During other moments of the pandemic, about 26,000 beds were empowered with resources funded from the COVID-19 emergency budget.

Adjustments

The Ministry of Health has also adjusted the amounts paid for renting conventional units for hospital beds, which have not been adjusted for a decade. The daily cost of a Type II family will increase from R$ 478.72 to R$ 600. The beds will be of the third type, adjustable from 508.23 Brazilian riyals to 700 Brazilian riyals. Eligible family in Emergency Network and Emergency (RUE) and Red Cegonha (RC) maintain current incentive values.

The daily rates for an intensive care unit bed for burn victims will be adjusted from R$322.00 to R$700, equivalent to a type III intensive care unit bed due to the complexity and as a way to encourage the rehabilitation of new beds in the country.