Hospital Rafael Rangel staff affected by suspected chemical intoxication

Eight healthcare workers at the Rafael Rangel Hospital in Boconó, Trujillo State, have been affected by symptoms consistent with chemical intoxication. The affected staff includes two doctors, four nurses, and two cleaners. The emergency occurred after the medical team treated three patients arriving from the Burbusay parish.

This incident follows a larger outbreak in the Burbusay area that began around October 15, initially affecting the Padre Durán high school before spreading to local homes, with more than 20 people reported ill in that community. Symptoms reported by both patients and staff include nausea, severe dizziness, general malaise, and respiratory difficulties.

The affected hospital staff are currently stable and under medical observation after receiving oxygen therapy. As a precautionary measure, the hospital has restricted its operations to emergency services only while decontamination and environmental control measures are conducted. Authorities are investigating the cause, with preliminary hypotheses suggesting the inhalation of an unidentified chemical agent.