Action to evaluate the safety conditions of transport serving cities in Bahia –
The Bahia State Health Council (CES-BA) this week began an inspection operation of vehicles carrying out Out-of-Home Care (TFD), following a serious accident on the BR-324 that killed three patients. This action aims to evaluate the safety conditions of the transport that serves the city, transporting patients to hospitals in Salvador, and has the immediate objective of preventing accidents.
Marcos Gêmeos, president of CES-BA, highlighted the importance of reviewing the standards that govern TFDs, which have been in force since 1994. “We are mapping the transport conditions and reviewing the normative instructions of 1994 to understand what caused so many accidents. We need to modernize the vehicle fleet and ensure that TFDs focus on patient safety,” he explained.
Yesterday’s inspections at two hospitals in the Bahian capital highlighted the need for greater collaboration between agencies to ensure transport safety. The president of CES-BA criticized the Bahia State Agency for Public Energy, Transport and Communications Regulation (Agerba), which has not commented so far. “We have asked Agerba to intensify the inspections, but in reality we still see buses with bald tires and vehicles that are not roadworthy. During the inspections, we inspected 15 to 20 cars, but only the Council was present. We need the Public Ministry, Agerba and the UPB (União dos Municípios da Bahia) to assume their responsibilities”, said Marcos Gêmeos.
Function
When contacted, UPB through its communications department denied being responsible for monitoring the transportation of TFD. According to the institution, its role is to guide the city government and not to manage it. “UPB highlights the lack of conservation of BR 116 and 324, making it difficult to transport patients and endangering lives,” said UPB in its statement.
The lack of adequate road infrastructure is one of the main complaints of drivers. Marcos Andrade, who drives a TFD vehicle in the city of São Sebastião do Passé (67.5 km from Salvador), expressed the difficulties faced, especially on the BR-324 operated by ViaBahia. “I drive that road from Monday to Friday and I realize that it is in a dangerous condition, and this makes the journey very difficult.”
José Mota, a TFD driver from Santo Amaro (80.6 km from the capital), shares his experience. “At 3 am we start picking up patients and often don’t return until the afternoon. In the early hours of the morning, we encounter truck drivers who refuse to give way and roads with potholes,” Mota says.
Joselito Lucas, a TFD driver in the municipality of Macedo Costa (185.5 km from Salvador), highlighted the condition of the BR-324, which makes the journey even more dangerous and tiring. “There are so many potholes that sometimes there were the day before, but the next day they are gone, and this causes damage to the vehicle and our health.”
We contacted ViaBahia, which is responsible for maintaining the BR 116 and 324 highways, but there was no response by the end of this edition.
While reviewing transportation, the CES-BA president commented on the lack of support points and infrastructure to accommodate drivers in hospitals. “Many do not have a bathroom near their parking lot, arriving here after a long journey, without rest or hospitality,” he reported.
Marcos Gêmeos also highlighted another worrying aspect: the lack of preparation of drivers to deal with emergencies. “There are no health professionals in many of these vehicles and the drivers are not trained to deal with emergencies,” he warned.
Lack of maintenance is another important point. “I drive a new car, but the maintenance is not always done correctly. We have to keep an eye on the workshop manager to make sure the car receives maintenance”, reports driver José Mota, highlighting that the situation varies by municipality.
Regarding the responsibility for monitoring the vehicles that make up the TFD, the report contacted the Secretary of the Health Council of the City of Bahia, represented by the president Stela dos Santos Souza, but there was no response until the close of this edition.
*Under the supervision of publisher Meire Oliveira
