The São Paulo Civil Police opened an investigation to investigate a series of baby deaths at a hospital in Mooca, in the East Zone of São Paulo. Hospital Salvalus belongs to the Hapvida network, part of the NotreDame Intermédica group.
According to the Public Security Secretariat (SSP), at least six cases are under investigation in the neighborhood's 8th Police District.
Children aged zero to three years would have contracted hospital infections and died as a result of sepsis (formerly known as generalized infection) and other complications.
Legal assistant Eduarda Fragnan Gomes, who represents three mothers, says that there are at least 19 cases of families who lost their children in surgeries carried out at Salvalus Hospital in the last six months.
According to her, police reports were registered in municipalities such as Praia Grande, Itaquaquecetuba, as well as other police stations in the capital of São Paulo, such as Vila Maria.
"Many cases have not yet been registered and others have not yet been sent to the 8th DP, which centralizes the investigations. These are children who were admitted to undergo malformation, digestive or correction surgeries that had a very low chance of death, but who had a generalized infection and died. The families are devastated", said Eduarda Fragnan.
In a note, the Civil Police says that “the police authority carries out investigations, including hearings from health professionals and witnesses, full analysis of medical records, aiming to clarify the causes of deaths”.
The cases occurred since the beginning of the year and were reported this Wednesday (21).
Salvalus Hospital stated that, to date, “the institution has not received formal notification about the aforementioned procedures and remains at the disposal of the competent authorities to provide the necessary clarifications, preserving medical confidentiality and patient privacy”.
The unit also stated that “the institution treats reports with the utmost seriousness and emphasizes that different clinical situations cannot be attributed to the same cause without technical proof”.
"This year, more than a thousand children were treated, with individualized care and specialized teams. The evaluations carried out so far indicate different clinical histories, without identifying a common infectious origin among the cases examined", he said.
Eduarda Fragnan states that next week several other families will be accompanied to the 8th DP of Brás to register new police reports against the hospital.
Full note from Hospital Salvalus: "The hospital reaffirms its commitment to patient safety, quality of care and respect for families. The institution treats reports with the utmost seriousness and emphasizes that different clinical situations cannot be attributed to the same cause without technical proof.
A reference in high-risk maternity and highly complex pediatric care, the unit receives children with serious conditions, such as extreme prematurity, malformations, genetic syndromes and infectious conditions that require specialized care.
This year, more than a thousand children were served, with individualized care and specialized teams. The evaluations carried out to date indicate different clinical histories, without identifying a common infectious origin among the cases examined.
The hospital emphasizes that the allegations presented cannot be generalized or used to establish conclusions about all services without technical support. Statements without proper contextualization can increase the anguish of families who are already facing moments of great vulnerability.
The unit maintains continuous assessments of care security and reception channels for families. To date, the institution has not received formal notification about the aforementioned procedures and remains at the disposal of the competent authorities to provide the necessary clarifications, preserving medical confidentiality and patients' privacy."
