Brazil: rescuer, close to Covid victims, Denison Vilar is a candidate for regional
Denison Vilar, first aider for the Samu in the city of Manaus.
He has decided to stand for the Christian Democracy party (right) in the Amazon state legislative elections (which will take place at the same time as the presidential election on 2nd October next).
© Achim Lippold/RFI
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
He is running for a parliamentary post in the regional elections next Sunday to participate in the reconstruction of a failing health system.
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With our special correspondent in Manaus,
Achim Lippold
It's 35 degrees in the shade but Denison Vilar has decided to campaign in his white Covid-era jumpsuit.
So that people don't forget what happened.
“
This combination represents all the people who lost their lives during the pandemic
,” explains the rescuer, before bursting into tears.
“
I lost friends, colleagues
,” he recalls.
National and regional presidential and legislative elections will take place next Sunday.
Among the themes of the campaign, the health system and the management of the pandemic.
Brazil paid a heavy price with the death of almost 700,000 people.
President Bolsonaro has been heavily criticized for his handling of the pandemic, the seriousness of which he began by denying.
The city of Manaus was particularly affected by the Covid and many people died because they could not be treated properly.
This collapse of the health system, Denison Vilar saw it from the inside, as a rescuer from the Samu.
Today, he is a candidate for the post of regional deputy with the Christian Democracy party with the desire to improve the care of patients and the working conditions of medical personnel.
So, the pain quickly gives way to anger: “
Even today, people are dying for lack of treatment.
The State of Amazonia has just launched the construction of a veterinary hospital, for the equivalent of around one million euros.
And a few weeks ago, a 6-year-old girl with leukemia died because there was no hospital bed available for her.
We really need to review the priorities.
»
People in Manaus were dying on a massive scale
Added to this is a lack of ambulances, the delay in payment of salaries for medical personnel and endemic corruption.
“
Our movement aims to hold public authorities accountable.
It is a corrupt system that puts medical personnel in a slave situation.
And who kills our people.
»
Even if he is not elected to the Amazon state parliament, Denison Vilar will continue his fight for a health system that saves lives, which the outgoing president failed to do according to him: "
A lot of people say: 'ah, but the president had no right to intervene.'
No that's not true.
The Supreme Court did not authorize him to intervene directly in the management of Covid by states and municipalities, in the name of the principles of our federalism.
But no one forbade the president from mobilizing the armed forces to send oxygen and medical equipment.
And if he had used the military to quickly build field hospitals like we did in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, it might have saved lives
.
»
The candidate continues his recriminations on the presidential lethargy.
“
But the president acted only after the mobilization of artists when people in Manaus were already dying on a large scale.
And we, the medical staff, have experienced total chaos during the pandemic.
And I saw that my president, during that time, sent quantities of food to the armed forces to organize barbecues.
And this while employees in the health sector were dying of Covid.
And that we all lack equipment, medical clothing, healthy food, not to mention working conditions.
»
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