Numerous complaints from residents about long waits for medical care prompted the mayor of Barreiros, Carlinhos da Pedreira, to make an unannounced inspection of the “Jailton Messias de Albuquerque” municipal hospital. The inspection, carried out on the evening of November 4 in Brazil’s Pernambuco state, led to a heated argument with two doctors on duty.
After seeing patients waiting in the emergency department, the mayor went to the night staff’s quarters. Two doctors, a man and a woman, were in a locked break room. He accused them of having sex while on duty as patients waited for help.
Të lidhura
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In footage he released that spread rapidly on social media, Carlinhos da Pedreira appears furious and tells the doctors that the emergency department was full of patients while they were having sex.
The mayor said three doctors had been assigned to work that evening, but only one was seeing patients during the inspection. He demanded that the other two doctors leave and that the police be called.
The Doctors’ Union offered a different account. It said the two medical professionals were resting after 12 hours of intensive work, while another doctor continued to care for patients.
The union argued that taking a break during a shift cannot be considered abandonment of duty when medical care remains available.
The Regional Council of Medicine in Pernambuco also responded, condemning the public exposure of the healthcare professionals. It stressed that any possible wrongdoing should be investigated through institutional and legal channels, with respect for the doctors’ dignity and right to a defense.
Following the confrontation and the reactions it prompted, the municipality of Barreiros announced that it had terminated its contract with “Associação Beneficente João Paulo II,” the organization responsible for managing the hospital. Until a new tender is held, the healthcare facility will be managed directly by the municipality.
