SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than a hundred college students celebrating the end of summer were injured in the devastating nightclub fire that claimed the lives of 236 others early Sunday, Jan. 27, in the town of Santa Maria in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. While the South American nation mourns the loss of so many young lives, doctors in medical centers from Brazil and around the world are working with physicians and volunteers in Santa Maria to care for the injured survivors.
On Jan. 28, in collaboration with local organizations in São Paulo, a GlobalMed Transportable Exam Station™ (TES) was flown to Porto Alegre Airport, where it was placed on board a smaller plane and taken to Santa Maria. The carry-on medical device allows the local hospitals to assist in the assessment of patients and enable communication in real time with outside specialists.
For GlobalMed employee Manoel Coelho, a native of Brazil, this tragedy has impacted him on both a personal and professional level.
“I am very saddened by this terrible tragedy. Only a few months ago, I had the privilege of taking the same transportable examination device to London, where it was used during the Olympic games (based at the Crystal Palace Brazilian headquarters) to help the medical team care for the health of the Brazilian athletes. After the games, this device was permanently stationed in São Paulo. Now, just a few months later, it is being used to help those in need in Santa Maria,” stated Coelho.
Those who remain hospitalized after the fire are suffering from severely burned airways and pneumonia-like complications. Smoke inhalation claimed the lives of most of the victims who died. Authorities are concerned more survivors could become sick over time. The challenges that lie before the teams of doctors and injured victims are huge, and every second counts in the effort to save lives. GlobalMed’s hope is that our equipment will help ease the burdens facing these medical specialists and offer greater support in restoring the health of as many people as possible.
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