After waiting in the SUS, patients with chronic pain are treated in a task force in Southern Minas

More than 100 patients receive care in a medical mission against pain in Alfenas About 100 patients with chronic pain who had been waiting for more than six months for specialized care in the Unified Health System (SUS) are being treated for free at the Santa Casa de Alfenas (MG). The procedures are performed during a task force that brings together specialists from Brazil and abroad to expand access to treatments that are often not offered in the public network's routine due to a lack of resources.

📲 Follow the g1 Sul de Minas page on Instagram The initiative is promoted by the Latin American Pain Society and has the participation of 18 doctors, including international professionals with experience in modern pain control techniques. To make the care possible, companies in the sector donated about R$ 1 million in materials used in the procedures.

Care takes place at the Santa Casa de Alfenas EPTV/Reproduction According to anesthesiologist Carlos Marcelo Barros, responsible for the Pain Clinic at Santa Casa de Alfenas, the goal is to treat patients who normally cannot access this type of treatment. "There are always patients that we cannot treat due to a lack of material. And with this, we invited doctors from outside Brazil and many from Brazil as well to carry out this action with the patients," explained the specialist. International exchange of knowledge In addition to patient care, the task force, which runs until this Tuesday (23), also promotes the exchange of knowledge between specialists from different countries. Neurosurgeon Daniele Khor, who lives in Germany and is participating in the initiative for the first time, highlights that the meeting allows for sharing new approaches to pain treatment.

“An international group of specialists has come together, bringing a lot of new information and modern therapies for patients. The most important thing is the patients, who will be helped by this mission, and the fellow doctors, who will have the opportunity to follow the procedures,” says the professional. Mexican doctor Ricardo Plancarte Sánches, head of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico and a pioneer in pain medicine, is also present at the action.

He developed techniques for treating pain in regions such as the pelvis and coccyx and states that the procedures can significantly reduce patient suffering. "It is a great help to reduce pain by 70% to 80%, without so many painkillers," says the doctor. Also on the team is doctor Sudhir Diwan, from New York, author of books on pain medicine.

For him, participating in the action represents an opportunity to contribute to patients who were waiting for treatment. "It is an honor, I am very excited to be part of this and honestly I have no words to express my feelings for being part of this wonderful mission," says Diwan. Hope for relief for patients For those who have lived with intense pain for years, the task force represents a chance to regain quality of life.

Machinist Ivanete Davila de Miranda has been facing fibromyalgia for 19 years and describes the disease as a constant weight on her body. "It's like a weight. If you lie on your stomach, there is a weight on us. If you lie on your side, I clench my leg, my teeth, so much so that I already had to get a dental implant because I clench my teeth too much day and night." According to her, the pain spread over the years.

"What happened to me was: the pain was in one place and now, if you ask me where it doesn't hurt... there isn't one, it's everywhere." The expectation is also high for Fernando Pereira, who has suffered from knee pain for seven years.

While waiting for the procedure, he maintains the hope of returning to living without the limitations caused by the pain. "We always come believing that it will get better, right? God willing, it will." See more news from the region on g1 Sul de Minas.