Red alert in three hospitals in Nariño due to collapse of emergency services

Pasto – Nariño

The Departmental Health Institute of Nariño warned about the overcrowding of the emergency department in hospital centers of the region, due to an increase in respiratory diseases, three of the most important health institutions in Nariño register an occupancy that exceeds 100%

The latest reports indicate that the Saint Peter’s Hospital presents an overcrowding of 140% in emergencies, the children’s hospital has exceeded 200% and the Departmental University Hospital registers 130%, most of the requirements are for respiratory diseases.

Oscar Fernando Cerón, deputy director of Public Health of the IDSN, called on the community to use emergency services responsibly, suggesting that you only go in extremely critical cases, such as heart attacks, strokes, persistent fevers above 39 degrees and oxygen saturation levels below 90%.

For less urgent cases, authorities recommend assist the public provider network of the 64 municipalities, In the case of Pasto, it is suggested to go to the ESE Pasto Salud, In addition, it is advisable to adopt home measures to manage respiratory symptoms, such as good hydration, use of face masks and isolation, These actions can relieve pressure on hospitals and help mitigate the emergency.

“Attending the emergency room in minor cases represents a risk, since more serious pathologies could be acquired that can lead to ICU or even death. Only through a collective and conscious effort can we overcome this difficult period and guarantee adequate care in health entities,” said Cerón.

The IDSN continues to monitor the situation and working together with health authorities to implement strategies to effectively manage this public health crisis.