On March 18, Pequeno Príncipe Hospital opened eight new beds in intensive care units (ICUs). With the expansion, the institution increased its capacity in ICUs by 12%, now having 76 beds dedicated to high complexity treatment. The investment was made possible thanks to the support of Volkswagen do Brasil, which allocated US$ 960,000 to Pequeno Príncipe through the state government’s incentive program, Paraná Competitivo.

The new facilities will provide care to children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 in clinical, pre-surgical and post-operative treatment in the institution’s cardiology services. Most of these patients have undergone or are being prepared for invasive procedures, such as cardiac catheterizations, transplants and major heart surgeries – most of them in newborn patients.

The new ICU is installed in an area of 200 square meters and has a high-tech infrastructure. The boxes are individualized, and the service islands are exclusive and complete, providing the professional with all the materials necessary for excellent service. Read more in the main article of 2024 March edition of Pequeno Príncipe News.

In this newsletter edition, you will also check the articles below. Click on the links to read the full length texts.

• Pequeno Príncipe qualifies child care in public primary care and emergency care units. The units are maintained by the Brazilian Public Health System (known as SUS) in cities across Brazil, but the care is not always carried out by pediatricians. In more serious cases, these units refer patients for medium and high complexity units, such as Pequeno Príncipe Hospital. To contribute to the qualification of care in these units that make up primary healthcare, Pequeno Príncipe structured a telepediatrics program that is already benefiting children and adolescents in three municipalities: Curitiba (in Paraná state), Paranaguá (also in Paraná), and Iguape (located in São Paulo state). Learn more details here.
• COVID-19 and dengue fever are threats to the health of children in Brazil. The first quarter of 2024 was marked by an increase in the number of cases and deaths caused by the two diseases. In the dengue fever case, several Brazilian states are experiencing an epidemic of the disease, transmitted by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito. What draws the attention of pediatricians is that there are already vaccines available for both diseases that significantly reduce the severity of cases, preventing deaths. But vaccination adherence has still been low. Access to read more.
• Tax waiver transforms the lives of children and adolescents. Historically, in Brazil, the health sector suffers from underfunding, especially with the delay in the Brazilian Public Health System payments. In Pequeno Príncipe, the last few years have seen deficits related to assistance, showing a large gap between services provided via SUS and the revenue received. Because of this reason, the tax waiver mechanism is a great ally for the Hospital in this process. Learn one of the stories transformed with the support of companies and individuals.