International
Floods in southern Brazil put the public health system in check
Floods in southern Brazil have pushed the precarious public health system to the limit, with hospitals surrounded by water, patients being transferred to haste and dozens of outpatient clinics affected by this climate catastrophe, which so far leaves 156 dead and 94 missing.
The rains that have hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul since the end of April have submerged a large part of the municipality of Canoas, one of the most affected. Two-thirds of the population was evacuated and one of the city’s hospitals is still surrounded by water.
At the Hospital of Pronto Socorro Diputado Nelson Marchezan the water has almost completely blocked the entrance of visitors. A refrigerator floats around. “He’s lost,” in the words of Mayor Jairo Jorge.
The impact on the regional health structure has been tremendous.
According to initial calculations by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, at least 801 health posts in 123 cities were totally or partially flooded.
Some basic care units are completely destroyed. For this reason, several field hospitals have been set up urgently, some managed by the Armed Forces.
“We have a fairly large volume (of patients),” Cecilia Soster, a nurse responsible for the field hospital built in Porto Alegre, tells EFE.
The Army installed another one in the town of São Leopoldo, where about half of the health posts are closed.
“We are doing an average of 100-120 consultations per day,” says Lieutenant-Conel Frederico Fuhrmeister, the doctor who coordinates the unit.
In addition, in the first days of the disaster there was no drinking water and there were serious problems with the supply of medicines because many roads were closed and the international airport of Porto Alegre, the regional capital, closed, with the forecast that it will only work again from September.
Organ transplants were paralyzed for two weeks and resumed again thanks to the use of helicopters borrowed by other states.
“It is the biggest climate catastrophe experienced in Rio Grande do Sul. Many healthcare services have been affected,” Roberta Vanacôr, head of Epidemiological Surveillance of Rio Grande do Sul, tells EFE.
Faced with this, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday a package of 66.5 million reais (13 million dollars / 12 million euros) to reactivate flooded hospitals, increase health surveillance and expand the number of beds, among other actions.
On the other hand, large floods also lead to the possible appearance of outbreaks of diseases caused by waters contaminated by animals or even pesticides, something that worries the health authorities.
“We have many agricultural areas with reserves of agrotoxics that have been flooded,” warns Carlos Machado, of the Center for Studies and Research of Emergencies and Disasters in Health of the Fiocruz institute.
The possible appearance of cases of hepatitis A, acute diarrhea and leptospirosis is also feared. Vanacôr reveals that they have already received “suspicious samples” of this disease that is transmitted by contact with water contaminated by the urine of infected animals.
Respiratory syndromes are also worrying, not counting the impact on mental health. Regarding influenza, they have been arrested to vaccinate the more than 77,000 people who have had to leave their homes and today live in shelters.
The crowds and low temperatures of this time of year in this region are the perfect breeding ground for respiratory infections.
But it also adds that Brazil is going through the worst dengue epidemic since there are records, with almost five million cases and about 2,800 deaths since the beginning of the year, according to official data.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito, transmitter of the disease, proliferates in places with accumulated water and 90% of the municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul are affected by the floods.
Vanacôr clarifies that the cold shortens the life cycle of the mosquito, but warns that just a sequence of milder temperatures is enough for there to be an increase in dengue cases.
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
International
Spain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday evening he hoped the electric service would be fully restored across Spain “soon,” while urging the public to act with “responsibility and civility” amid the blackout that has affected the Iberian Peninsula since midday.
Sánchez explained that the outage was triggered by “a strong fluctuation (…) in the European power system, which led to a widespread supply interruption across the Iberian Peninsula and some areas of southern France.”
After more than six hours without power, “service has been restored in several northern and southern territories” of the Iberian Peninsula, Sánchez said, adding that “hydroelectric power plants across the country have been reactivated, which should allow us to fully restore electricity in Spain soon.”
“I call on citizens to cooperate with the authorities, to act responsibly and civilly, as we have done in past crises,” Sánchez urged, addressing the chaos unfolding in the streets, with people left without phones, metro services, or trains.
The Prime Minister also asked people to “minimize travel,” “avoid spreading unverified information,” rely solely on official sources for updates, and make “responsible use of mobile phones” by keeping calls brief.
“There are no security concerns,” Sánchez stressed, and “our hospital system is functioning properly.”
International
Madrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
Emergency services carried out 286 rescue operations to free people trapped in elevators in Madrid following a blackout that has been affecting the Iberian Peninsula since midday Monday, the president of the Madrid region reported.
“What we are dealing with most frequently right now are cases of people trapped in elevators,” said Madrid regional government leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso in an interview with Antena 3. She added that Madrid’s extensive metro system, which transports around two million people daily, was evacuated “without incident.”
One man posted a video on social media saying he had been trapped in an elevator without phone service for over half an hour due to the power outage.
“By banging on the door and shouting, a neighbor heard me and called the police,” he explained, noting that it took officers about 30 minutes to free him.
Spain and Portugal share a highly integrated energy network that operates as an “energy island,” connected to the rest of Europe by only a small number of cross-border interconnections with France.
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
Spain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
Madrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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