A somber note reached us this week from the ongoing winter emergency. An adult woman sadly passed away Wednesday morning. She suffered a decompensation and a cardiorespiratory arrest inside an Evacuation Center. This center is part of the National Emergency System, known as Sinae. Sinae reported this in its daily situation update. The report noted the red alert issued to care for homeless people during winter.
The tragic incident occurred around 8:30 in the morning. A medical team from SAME 105 attended to the woman immediately. They worked for nearly half an hour trying to stabilize her. During this assistance, the patient suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest. Despite advanced resuscitation maneuvers, she died around 9:30 AM, Sinae indicated.
This tragic event highlights the challenges faced during a widespread humanitarian effort. The night before, a large inter-institutional operation provided assistance to 2,811 people across the nation. Many found refuge from the cold in shelters. The Ministry of Social Development runs these facilities. A total of 2,270 people stayed in these shelters. This included 1,460 in Montevideo and 810 in other regions.
Furthermore, Evacuation Centers offered warmth and safety to hundreds. These centers helped 541 individuals in total. Specifically, 452 people were in Montevideo’s centers. Another 89 found help in centers outside the capital. Police teams played a crucial role too. They carried out 216 transfers of people to safety throughout the country. It’s important to note that no one required compulsory hospitalization. There were also no arrests for not complying during these forced evacuations. Health teams provided six medical assists during the operation. They also referred two individuals to healthcare centers for further care.