Simers requests investigation into ICU equipment contract in Rio Grande do Sul

The Medical Union of Rio Grande do Sul (Simers) has requested the State Public Prosecutor's Office (MPRS) to investigate a contract for the rental of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) equipment. The union is questioning a long-term agreement with the company RTS Rio S. A., which has reportedly been renewed through 12 addenda over six years under the guise of an emergency contract.

Simers alleges that the total cost to the state is approximately R$ 390 million, claiming the rental price is more than four times the cost of purchasing and maintaining the equipment, which they estimate at roughly R$ 90.3 million. The union argues that healthcare should not be managed through prolonged emergency contracts.

The State Health Secretariat (SES) has contested these claims, stating that the original 2018 contract resulted from a regular bidding process rather than an emergency measure. The SES clarified that an emergency contract was only implemented in 2025 as a temporary measure to maintain over 330 critical beds while a new bidding process is finalized. The Secretariat further argued that the service provides an integrated solution including technological updates, maintenance, technical support, and staff training, and dismissed the allegations as having political motives.