Brazil’s Defense Minister denies vacant beds in military hospitals

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Defense Minister Walter Souza Braga Netto, on April 29th, denied the existence of vacant beds for the treatment of Covid-19 in military hospitals. During a hearing in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and National Defense, the minister said that there are no surplus beds and that the contamination rate of military personnel by the virus is higher than in the general population.

“It is exactly the opposite. We don’t have availability [of beds], our contamination rate is higher in the military family, which covers the reserve personnel,” he said, although offering no figures. “And, curiously, our front-line personnel began to become infected because their vaccination was not foreseen,” he added.

According to the minister, the vast majority of military hospitals have virtually all ICU beds occupied. Braga Netto further said that many military hospitals have been transferring patients to other regions to prevent the units from collapsing.

“The fact is that there are no vacant beds in our hospitals. Our hospitals are full. The vacant beds are precisely due to the rotation of patients who leave the ICU in order to admit those who are in a worse condition,” he said.

The information regarding vacant beds in military hospitals, both in wards and ICUs, was reported by the media earlier this month. The matter is under investigation by the Federal Audit Court (TCU), which ordered the disclosure of data on beds for Covid-19 patients.

The issue has also been discussed in the Control and Supervision Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, which yesterday, April 28th, voted to summon the minister to clarify the matter.

During the hearing, the minister was also asked about the Armed Forces’ “politicization”. Senator Fabiano Contarato (Rede-ES) mentioned the change in the command of the ministry and of the Armed Forces. The departure of Navy, Army, and Air Force commanders was announced by the Defense Ministry one day after Fernando Azevedo e Silva left his post as Defense Minister, which was then taken over by Braga Netto, who headed the Civil House.

The minister denied that there is politicization of the Armed Forces and said that the change in command occurred due to seniority.

“There is no politicization of the Armed Forces. This is a misconception. There was a change of ministers and for a functional issue there was a change of commanders. Civilians don’t usually understand the question of seniority, and for us this is important,” he said.

“This change was made, and the Armed Forces will continue to follow the principles of hierarchy, discipline, defense of the Constitution, and the freedom of the Brazilian people,” he added.

Contarato also inquired about the positions of high-ranking members of the Armed Forces, such as Air Force Commander Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior, on social networks, criticizing institutions such as the Federal Supreme Court and also left-wing politicians.

“In certain positions held in institutions, we have to refrain from personal opinions about politics, otherwise we are politicizing the Armed Forces. The government passes, the institutions remain,” the senator said.

Source: Agência Brasil