Paraná, March 22, 2021 – Five new Intensive Care Unit (ICUs) beds started functioning on March 22nd at the 21st Health Region of Paraná, formed by the towns of Curiúva, Imbaú, Ortigueira, Reserva, Telêmaco Borba, Tibagi and Ventania. The beds were set up at the Doutor Feitosa Institute in Telêmaco Borba and started functioning after Klabin donated ventilators to the state government on March 7.

To ensure that the new beds would be ready, Klabin provided external monitors that will be used with the ventilators and medicines that are essential for treating ICU patients – the Doutor Feitosa Institute has 10 more ICU beds.

The company will also send seven healthcare professionals – two nurses and five nursing technicians – to ensure that the new ICU units are fully functional. Furthermore, it will donate funds to back up the additional mobilization required by the Institute for the hospital beds.

In this joint effort, the State Health Department will bear the maintenance costs of the infrastructure for this new action front in the fight against COVID-19. The full approval process for the ICU beds in the government’s Unified Health System (SUS) network has already been completed.

The State Health Secretary, Beto Preto, said that the new beds are part of a healthcare strategy that has already topped the mark of 4,000 exclusive beds for COVID-19 patients. Another 200 are expected to be readied in the next few days across Paraná. With these new beds, Telêmaco Borba now has 35 ICU and 30 infirmary beds.

“The pandemic has already completed one year and we continue to join forces in this fight, at a very difficult moment. Klabin helped the State Government in completing the Telêmaco Borba Regional Hospital and is now helping us to set up more beds at the Doutor Feitosa Institute,” he said. “Our goal is to continue serving the population well.”

“We are facing the most difficult time of the pandemic and Klabin, as a corporate citizen, continues to mobilize diverse resources and experiences to help society fight the coronavirus. Together with the Inter-Sector Committee on Combating COVID-19 (COMCOVID) we monitor the health crisis every day, discuss measures to support the municipal governments and emphasize that this isn’t the time to let our guard down. Each action counts in this journey,” said Arthur Canhisares, Industrial Paper Director at Klabin.

New ICU bed at the Doutor Feitosa Institute (IDF). Credit: IDF.

Ventilators and external monitors acquired by Klabin for the new beds. Credit: Rafael Chuí.