Audit by the Ministry of Health at the Children's Hospital in São Luís lasts three hours The audit carried out by technicians from the Ministry of Health, this Tuesday (14), at the Children's Hospital Odorico Amaral de Matos, in São Luís, lasted around three hours. The final inspection report should be released in the next few days. The team was on site to investigate complaints related to the operation of the unit's pediatric Intensive Care Units (ICUs). ?Download the g1 app to see MA news in real time and for free The team came from Brasília and is coordinated by the director of the National Audit Department of the Unified Health System (DenaSUS), Rafael Bruxellas. According to him, the audit is not a routine visit, but an urgent action in light of complaints sent by parents of patients to the Ombudsman's Office of the Unified Health System (SUS). "The Ministry of Health came to Maranhão due to warnings from the population that they could not wait. DenaSUS is not here for a routine audit, but to investigate an urgent situation, in the face of a serious complaint about the risk to the lives of children in vulnerable health situations", said the director. According to Rafael Bruxellas, if irregularities are found, the report may contain warnings and recommendations for São Luís City Hall to present a contingency plan to correct the identified problems. "The first characteristic of this audit is the potential to produce immediate results. We are carrying out an initial technical visit and, with the conclusion of this report, we will be able to issue, if necessary, alerts or recommendations so that a contingency plan can be presented in accordance with what is identified. After crossing the data, we will have the complete report and we will check if there was any indication of irregularity or if any child died due to lack of assistance or not receiving adequate care. If this is confirmed, we will forward the reports to the competent criminal authorities", he stated. In addition to in-person inspections, auditors must examine medical records, professional rosters, contracts, mortality indicators, hospitalization records and notifications posted in the SUS systems. Audit by the Ministry of Health at the Children's Hospital in São Luís lasts three hours and the final report should be released in the next few days Reproduction/TV Mirante Case is investigated by the Public Ministry The complaints investigated by the Ministry of Health are also investigated by the Public Ministry of Maranhão (MP-MA). According to the complaints, the Children's Hospital recorded 113 deaths in 2025 and of these, 101 would have occurred within the Health Unit's three ICUs. That would be 62 more deaths than in 2024. The City of São Luís disputes the numbers presented in the complaints. According to the Municipality, in 2024, 112 deaths were recorded. However, 39 deaths are reported on the Ministry of Health website. According to the complaint, the increase in the number of deaths coincides with the change in management of the hospital's ICUs. According to documents cited in the investigation, more than half of the 31 deaths registered in the SUS system in 2025 could have been avoided. The classification and criteria used must be detailed by the responsible bodies during the investigations. Public Ministry of Maranhão investigates the increase in deaths in the children's ICUs at Hospital da Criança Reproduction/TV Mirante In October 2025, the City of São Luís placed a tender to hire the company Instituto Brasileiro de Serviços Médicos (IBMED) to manage the hospital's ICUs. The contract, according to the Public Ministry, would have drastically reduced resources to pay for the ICUs, as well as the number of doctors on the team. Professionals who previously worked at the unit say that some team members were invited to stay, but declined the proposal because they considered that the expected number of doctors would be insufficient to guarantee safe care. One of the doctors interviewed stated that it would be “humanly impossible” for a single professional, even a qualified one, to care for a highly complex pediatric ICU alone. Public Defender requested the annulment of the contract. The Public Defender's Office of Maranhão (DPE-MA) also began monitoring the case and identified possible flaws in the notice used to contract IBMED. Among the problems highlighted would be the reduction of the medical team and the possibility of hiring professionals without the specialization required to work in pediatric ICUs. "When we analyzed this contracting process, we noticed several inconsistencies and nonconformities. The first of them is that a fundamental technical document, which is the preliminary technical study, which is what will technically guide the entire contracting process, was not observed. In fact, the bidding goes against the entire preliminary technical study carried out by the secretariat itself", says Davi Rafael Veras, public defender. In view of the irregularities, the Public Defender's Office asked the Public Ministry to annul the contract signed between the City of São Luís and the institute. The Public Ministry opened an investigation to investigate both the deaths and possible flaws in the bidding process. If acts of negligence, imprudence or malpractice related to the deaths are proven, the agency may launch a criminal investigation to identify and hold those involved responsible. Contracted company denies irregularities MP-MA investigates complaint of 159% increase in deaths in ICUs at Hospital da Criança, in São Luís Reproduction/TV Mirante The Brazilian Institute of Medical Services (IBMED), a company contracted to manage the pediatric ICUs at Hospital da Criança, denies that it has reduced the number of professionals and states that there are no irregularities in the execution of the contract. According to the company's clinical director, Paulo Bayma, currently more than 20 doctors are part of the team responsible for care at the unit. "Today we have approximately 20 doctors. We brought professionals from various regions of Brazil who were willing to come here. Doctors came from Amazonas, Piauí, Ceará, São Paulo, from several states, so that pediatric medical care in our capital would not be interrupted", says the director. In an interview with TV Mirante, however, hospital employees reported that only three doctors would be working in the ICUs. The clinical director also stated that the contract follows the standards established by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). "The entire notice was based on RDC nº 7, from Anvisa, of 2010, which establishes the need for one doctor for every ten beds in pediatric ICUs. We are complying with the legislation. IBMED did not participate in the preparation of the Preliminary Technical Study (ETP) and, therefore, did not have any interference in the preparation of the notice. We participated in the bidding, we agreed with the rules and we are only complying with what the legislation determines." The justification is contested by the State Public Defender's Office. "The technical study says that, as there are three ICU centers, two with ten beds and one with nine —, at least two reference doctors are needed, responsible for the entire structure. However, this bid only considers one, as if it were a single ICU with 29 beds, which does not correspond to reality", said Davi Rafael Veras, public defender. Families report delays in care and worsening of children Kerliane, aged 7, died after being treated and admitted to the Children's Hospital in São Luís. Reproduction/TV Mirante Among the cases investigated is that of Kerliane, aged 7, who died after being treated and admitted to the Children's Hospital. According to her mother, civil firefighter Jainara Sousa dos Santos, the girl was taken to the unit on April 23 with pain in her leg. Two days before, she had suffered a fall in the backyard and injured her buttocks. Jainara states that her daughter underwent blood tests and a CT scan. After identifying a blood clot, the child was discharged without undergoing drainage. If there was a slight infection, they didn't say anything about it right away and they discharged my daughter", reported Jainara. Two days later, the mother returned to the hospital because the pain had increased and the girl started to vomit. New tests would have indicated an infection, in addition to changes in the lung, liver and kidneys. Kerliane was intubated in an area known as the "large room", where she remained for two days before being transferred to an ICU. The girl died on April 29th. "My daughter's leg was just swelling and she (the doctor) said it was normal, that it was a reduction in fluid. When they thought about doing the drainage, it was on the 29th, my daughter passed away", lamented the mother. The death certificate listed the causes of death as respiratory arrest, sepsis, hematogenous pneumonia and septic arthritis, a serious bacterial infection that affects the joints. "I feel destroyed every day because (a daughter) is missing from the house. It's painful. It’s something that kills us every day, knowing that you delivered your child safely and brought your child back in a funeral home car,” said Jainara. The case is investigated by the Public Ministry of Maranhão. "These cases not only demonstrate negligence in care, by having a scale that does not meet the demand and workload of pediatricians, but also, due to the prescriptions, certainly malpractice on the part of this team of professionals from IBMED in Teresina", explained prosecutor Herbertb Figueiredo, from the 1st Health Prosecutor's Office. Baby died after 17 days of hospitalization Parents report death of baby after 17 days of hospitalization at the Children's Hospital in São Luís. Reproduction/TV Mirante Another reported case is that of Otto, 9 months old. The mother, Leyciane Barbosa, states that her son was transferred from the ICU to an infirmary even though he was not clinically fit to leave intensive care. According to her, the baby got worse after the transfer, presented generalized swelling and had new requests for admission to the ICU made by doctors on the ward. Otto was eventually transferred to another children's hospital, where he recovered and was discharged. In January 2026, however, the baby was admitted to the Children's Hospital again, this time with an intestinal infection. Parents claim that basic exams and procedures would have taken time to carry out. The boy died after 17 days of hospitalization. The death certificate lists septic shock as the cause of death. "I am completely convinced that my son died due to negligence. They never told us that he had sepsis or pneumonia", said Leyciane. The family also reports that they had to buy materials and medicines that should have been available in the unit, including gloves, probes and an anticonvulsant that cost around R$600. Twins died after being diagnosed with bronchiolitis Patients' families report failures in care, lack of exams and reduction in teams Reproduction/TV Mirante The 4-month-old twins Bento and Bernardo were admitted to the Children's Hospital on June 27, with flu-like symptoms. Both were diagnosed with bronchiolitis. According to his parents, Samila and Ismael, Bento had the most serious condition, with fatigue and difficulty breathing. The mother claims that the medical team informed her that it would be necessary to intubate the baby. Bernardo initially had symptoms considered milder and remained in the medication room for two days. According to the family, their health condition worsened inside the unit. After two cardiorespiratory arrests, Bento was taken to an ICU, but did not survive. The death certificate indicates acute renal failure, pneumonia, pneumothorax and septic shock. About 24 hours after burying Bento, the couple also lost Bernardo. “Burying two children in less than 24 hours is unacceptable,” said Ismael. Samila says she believes there was a failure in the assistance provided to her children. “There was a lack of attention, a lack of professionalism,” he declared. Indicators point to 65 deaths in the first semester. The report also had access to internal indicators from the Children's Hospital for the period between January 1st and June 30th, 2026. According to the documents, 65 deaths were recorded in the unit during the first semester. Fifty-three of them occurred within the ICUs. The data points to a growth of 38.89% compared to the same period of the previous year. The information is part of the set of documents analyzed by the Public Ministry and other bodies that investigate the operation of the hospital. Professionals denounce reduction in medical staff Doctors, nurses and technicians who work or have worked at Hospital da Criança claim that there was a significant reduction in staff after a change in ICU management. The professionals agreed to speak without being identified for fear of retaliation. According to a pediatrician, until October 12, 2025, the three ICUs had 53 doctors. The shifts would have eight professionals in the morning, six in the afternoon and six at night. From October 13th, according to reports, the number of doctors would have been reduced. On certain shifts, there would only be three professionals to serve the three ICUs — one doctor in each unit. The complainants also claim that some of the people on duty do not have specialization or experience in pediatrics. "With this number of professionals, even a trained, very experienced and qualified doctor would not be able to handle this scenario. And we are talking about people who have no experience in pediatrics. In the vast majority of cases, it is not a pediatrician who is on duty, and this has a direct impact on care." Another doctor stated that reducing the team could reduce the chances of survival of children hospitalized in serious condition. Employees also reported possible failures in prescriptions, lack of materials, lack of medicines and difficulties in carrying out emergency procedures. In one of the reports, a professional stated that two doctors were unable to perform a defibrillation while caring for a child who suffered a cardiac arrest. The patient died. The complaint will still be analyzed by the responsible bodies and there is, to date, no official conclusion on the episode. What the authorities say City Hall denies omission of data The City of São Luís denied that there is a widespread shortage of supplies and medicines at the Children's Hospital. Municipal management admitted, however, that occasional reductions in stocks may occur during periods of high demand. In these situations, according to the municipality, internal relocation of materials or replacement of medicines with equivalent products is carried out. Regarding safety and quality of care, the city hall stated that it monitors pediatric ICUs to avoid interrupting services or closing beds. The municipal administration also highlighted the regional role of the Children's Hospital. According to the city hall, the unit provides around 10,000 consultations per month and 71% of patients admitted in the first half of this year came from municipalities in the interior of Maranhão. The City of São Luís also denied that it omits information from the Unified Health System and stated that all deaths registered in the hospital are officially reported to the Mortality Information System. According to municipal management, possible differences between local data and information available in federal public systems are caused by delays in processing and updating the national database. Contrary to what the complaint investigated by the Public Ministry points out, the city hall reported that there was no significant increase in the number of deaths at the Children's Hospital. According to the municipality, there was a variation of 4.5% between 2024 and 2025. The number of deaths increased from 112 to 117 in the period. The municipal management also stated that the ICU professional staff fully meets the requirements of the National Health Surveillance Agency, Anvisa. The city hall also reinforced that there are no official records of widespread shortages and that the supply of hospital materials follows continuous planning. Contract with IBMED Regarding the contracting of the Brazilian Institute of Medical Services, IBMED, the City of São Luís stated that the tender and the contract strictly comply with the legislation. The municipality also declared that the State Court of Auditors denied the requests for suspension of the contract and archived the representations presented against the municipal administration. Regional Council of Medicine The Regional Council of Medicine reported that it monitors the situation of the pediatric ICUs at Hospital da Criança. According to the agency, the objective is to guarantee the safety of care provided to patients and the working conditions of doctors. The council stated that it acts in accordance with the legislation and that it will take appropriate measures if irregularities are identified. Federal Public Ministry The Federal Public Ministry informed that it received the complaint about the situation at the Children's Hospital. The case will be analyzed by a public prosecutor, who will evaluate the adoption of the necessary measures to investigate the facts. Ministry of Health The Ministry of Health reported that it is already investigating the complaints sent to the SUS Ombudsman's Office about the deaths registered at the Hospital da Criança, in São Luís. A team from the National Audit Department of the Unified Health System, DenaSUS, was sent to the unit to analyze the situation in the pediatric ICUs and verify the information presented in the complaints.