After spending hours at the São Vicente de Paulo Hospital (HSVP), in Taguatinga (DF), patient Raquel França de Andrade (featured photo), aged 24, fell ill, had a seizure and died, at Christmas 2024. On the eve of this tragic affair which lasted a year, the young woman’s family continues to seek explanations for what happened.
The Federal District Health Department (SES-DF) has launched a procedure to investigate possible irregularities in the department’s Internal Affairs Department. However, according to Raquel’s brother, electrician Iago Feitosa Pereira de Sousa, 26, the family has not officially received any response. According to the ministry, the investigation is still ongoing and measures have been adopted to ensure greater patient safety (read below).
“For me it was a trauma. I saw how much Raquel was suffering. When she woke up, a movie of our lives played in my head. Raquel never asked to be special, but she had dreams,” he said.
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Patient Raquel de Andrade died after being tied up for hours and feeling sick at São Vicente de Paulo Hospital
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Raquel’s family seeks answers
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According to the family, the fact that Raquel was tied up for hours was brutal.
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Christmas
Detached from the Christmas party, Iago was tending to his motorcycle in his garage when he received the call from the hospital. “When I arrived, I asked where she was. She was in a room in a bag. The doctor opened it. I recognized her. And then the penny fell. I grabbed her face. It was still very hot. There was liquid in her mouth,” he revealed.
According to Iago, the doctor said Raquel had a seizure, vomited and aspirated. The team of doctors provided first aid and the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu) was called, but the patient did not survive.
Why didn’t they take her to the hospital? At first they said she was part of a medical team, but later I found out she was alone and had been strapped in beforehand. If the person was receiving medication, why was he tied up? » he asked.
Iago was shocked to learn how his sister was tied up. “From the photos, when we saw the marks, we were sure it was brutal.” For the electrician, if Raquel was not constantly monitored, there was negligence.
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Inspections
The president of the Human Rights Commission (CDH) of the Legislative Chamber (CLDF), district deputy Fábio Felix (PSol), carried out a series of inspections of the mental health services of the DF.
“Cases like that of the Liberté-se Clinic and the deaths of São Vicente de Paula reveal that this logic of asylum is a delay, because it subjects extremely vulnerable people to neglect, violence and ineffective treatment. It is urgent to strengthen the Psychosocial Reception Network (RAPS), the structuring of CAP (Psychosocial Reception Centers) with more staff and adequate working conditions for staff, because it is effective public policy in matters of mental health care,” stressed the parliamentarian.
District Deputy Gabriel Magno (PT) also oversees the DF’s mental health services. For the parliamentarian, the heart of the problem lies in the inadequacy of the DF’s mental health policy.
“The government does not respect laws, such as the one that determines the opening of psychiatric beds in hospitals and the closure of the São Vicente de Paula Hospital, which operates irregularly, with characteristics similar to those of psychiatric hospitals, with practices that restrict freedom and procedures analogous to torture. Added to this are the lack of servers, the precarious functioning of CAPS and the fragility of the psychosocial care network, which are factors that contribute to this critical scenario. Raquel, they are a reflection of this inattention, the lack of financing and the precariousness of the network infrastructure,” he commented.
Other side
The health ministry said that after the patient’s death, a police report was registered to determine the cause of death. Internally, SES requested an investigation into the conduct of care and a determination of possible liability by the department’s internal affairs department. As the investigation has not been completed, to date, no professional has been dismissed or held responsible for the matter.
According to the file, based on the recorded episodes, significant changes occurred at the hospital. Changes were made in management, review and implementation of new protocols, in addition to improvements in work processes, especially in patient admission and discharge flows.
The methodology of visits has also been changed: now family members can visit the infirmary department daily, which allows direct monitoring of the place of hospitalization and greater interaction with the assistance team, replacing the previous model, in which visits took place in the outdoor area.
To prevent similar situations from recurring, the unit adopted new workflows, updated clinical protocols and increased investments in team training, strengthening the capacity to meet users’ clinical demands.
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