Staff and former employees of Base Hospital in Brasília have raised allegations regarding the deplorable state of the pathology department, where bodies for autopsies, organs removed during surgeries, and samples for analysis are sent.
Video footage demonstrates the presence of dirt, lack of proper worker protection, and the use of improvised containers for organ storage. One frame shows that the locks on the drawers containing bodies do not close, and there is a large amount of dirt inside the premises.
Employees also reported being forced to use expired protective gear. Last month, one employee filed a complaint with the GDF reception, claiming to be a victim of persecution, humiliation, and hostile behavior.
Following a request, journalists visited the pathology department and found a situation different from the images shown in the accusations. Staff stated that a large-scale cleaning had been carried out the day before the visit.
Organ Storage
Former workers of Base Hospital in Brasília reported improper conditions. Other footage displays the location where biological materials that have undergone or are undergoing biopsy are stored. Plastic containers, including ice cream containers, are visible.
A former employee, who wished to remain anonymous, stated: 'We bring things from our own homes. The oil we finished using in the cafeteria is sent there so we can use and store these organs we receive from the operating room.'
Organs arriving at the department are passed on by families for use in medical practice. However, according to the former employee, the storage protocol is not being followed, and there is a risk of biological contamination due to the presence of mold.
What Base Hospital Says
The Federal District Institute of Health Strategic Management (Iges), which manages Base Hospital, told journalists that the presented images do not reflect the current state of the department because changes in the management of this sector have recently occurred.
Marlusi Mendes Soares, Chief Manager of Visual Diagnostics Service, denied any link between the cleaning and the journalists' visit. The director also emphasized that cleaning is done periodically and stated that there were no violations in the photos taken by the staff.
Marlusi Mendes Soares specified that according to regulations, the container must be closed, labeled, and the sample must be placed in a diluted formalin water solution. She added that all samples shown in the video complied with these conditions. Furthermore, she reported that refrigerators undergo regular maintenance and cleaning.