Year of intense challenges, 2023 required resilience and courage
In the year in which our supporter Pelé became a dictionary entry, as a synonym for unparalleled, incomparable, and extraordinary, we faced challenges while celebrating the lives of countless little “Pelés” that we serve daily: children who, like the Hospital itself, are incomparable in their willingness to fight for life and extraordinary in their ability to overcome
The year 2023 began with a mixture of feelings at the Pequeno Príncipe: sadness at saying goodbye to Pelé, who passed away on December 29, 2022, and gratitude for the support received from the King of Football. Pelé lent his name to the Pequeno Príncipe research unit and in doing so opened many doors to enable the development of studies on child and adolescent health. Research, combined with assistance, increases the chances of a cure for boys and girls who are fighting serious illnesses. Patient Flávia, who came from Pará to receive treatment, is one of these children. On the first Friday of the year, while the world was still saying goodbye to the king, she had her last chemotherapy session.
Throughout the year, Pelé became a dictionary entry, synonymous with something or someone incomparable, extraordinary, spectacular, excellent… We can then say that, at Pequeno Príncipe, every day we serve thousands of little “Pelés”: children who, like the institution itself, are incomparable in their courage and willingness to fight for life and extraordinary in their ability to overcome.
Courage and overcoming were the words that marked the year for the entire philanthropic health sector. With the supplementary health system in crisis and the historic lag in the fee rates applied by the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS, abbreviation in Portuguese), philanthropic hospitals saw their financial situation become even more challenging.
At the Pequeno Príncipe, this situation was compounded by the misfortune of a major fire on October 31st. The fire devastated the Oncology, Hematology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Outpatient Clinic. Fortunately, no children or family members were affected. The service was transferred to an adapted area, and all patients had their treatment maintained. But reconstruction is urgent. The losses exceeded US$ 1 million, and the Hospital is seeking support from society to deal with this emergency situation. To support the reconstruction of the Oncology, Hematology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Outpatient Clinic, click here.
Investment from individuals, companies and governments is fundamental to the financial sustainability of Pequeno Príncipe, to face emergency situations such as that caused by the fire and to implement expansion and innovation plans.
Advances in assistance
One of the examples of the importance of the support received from society is the implementation of eight new beds in intensive care unit (ICU) in Pequeno Príncipe. Made possible by the Government of the State of Paraná in partnership with Volkswagen, the new ICU should come into operation at the beginning of 2024. The announcement of this important support was made in April, the same month in which improvement works began in the historic Hospital building, through the Para Mais 100 Anos project, which receives resources donated by companies and individuals via tax waiver.
News like this renewed everyone’s hopes for Pequeno Príncipe, and the last day of the first quarter couldn’t be more special: little Laura, who underwent a bone marrow transplantation in the fight against a childhood cancer, celebrated getting her marrow. Renewed expectations of a new life!
In addition to celebrating the achievements of patients like Laura, throughout the year we also celebrated important institutional milestones, such as the acquisition of new equipment for extracorporeal circulation and the 40th anniversary of the Neurology Service, the 10th anniversary of the Quality Center, 35 years of the Hemodynamics Service, and 55 years of the Oncology and Hematology Service. The time that passes makes our multi-professional teams even more experienced in caring for children’s lives and health.
A demonstration of all this expertise could be seen on September 22nd, a very special day. In 16 hours, the Pequeno Príncipe teams performed six transplants: five surgeries to transplant three kidneys, a liver and a heart, and a bone marrow transplantation.
All this experience, structure, and variety of services – there are 35 medical specialties offered at Pequeno Príncipe – culminated in a special recognition: for the third consecutive year, we were elected one of the best hospitals that work with pediatrics in the world. We ranked 80th overall in the ranking and in first place as an exclusively pediatric hospital in Latin America.
Innovation and technology
To continue being the best pediatric hospital in Latin America, Pequeno Príncipe has invested in innovation and technology. Throughout 2023, around US$ 1 million was allocated to medication traceability projects, implementation of electronic dispensaries, centralized bed management, parameterization of alerts, certification and digital prescription, automation of appointment scheduling, and much more. These initiatives also earned the institution, for the third consecutive year, the Champions of Innovation Award, granted by Amanhã Group and IXI-Center, from the United States, as one of the most innovative philanthropic institutions in the Southern Region of Brazil.
Research projects
Research also brings innovation to the Hospital. And in that sense, 2023 was very productive. In the year in which it celebrated its 17th anniversary, the Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute had its first project approved to receive financing from the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep, in Portuguese), a company linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI, also in Portuguese). The approved research will investigate neuroblastoma, the most common cancer in children in their first year of life. The Institute’s group that investigates leukemia also had great achievements and became part of a national research network in pediatric oncology.
To end the year, the Research Institute opened its third unit, where seven new laboratories and large equipment were installed. An important reinforcement for a century-old institution that never stops looking to the future and dreaming of better chances of life and health for all children.
Environmental commitment and social mobilization
Looking to the future requires organizations to care for the environment. And at Pequeno Príncipe this commitment is taken very seriously. There were numerous initiatives, from encouraging employees to dispose of waste correctly to a new approach for the disposal of the Hospital’s textile waste, which began to be sent to a cooperative, transforming into new products, such as toiletry bags and bags. The set of actions gave Pequeno Príncipe the Global Health Care Climate Challenge Award, in the Climate Leadership – Gold category.
By involving other organizations in their commitments, such as the cooperative that now produces pieces with the Hospital’s textile waste, we mobilize society on issues that go beyond the healthcare we provide. And in this aspect, 2023 was also very rewarding. In the first semester, there were numerous initiatives focused on preventing violence against children and adolescents. We trained professionals, disseminated information in the press and social media, and mobilized influencers to draw attention to the topic.
In the scope of advocacy, we managed, together with other organizations, to influence an article in the Brazilian Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA, in Portuguese) to be changed, allowing donations via tax exemption for specific organization projects to be regulated throughout the country. Before this change, states had autonomy over the issue and not all allowed directed donations.
Pequeno Príncipe’s supporters were also impacted by the institution’s mobilization actions. There were many accountability, relationship, and celebration events for the lives of the boys and girls who benefit from this support. Our supporters could learn more about the stories of some patients, like little Gael, who arrived in Pequeno Príncipe after traveling to several Brazilian cities in search of treatment.
In the political sphere, the Hospital board had the opportunity to meet with the Brazilian first lady, Janja Lula da Silva, at the beginning of the year, to discuss ways to contribute to the health of indigenous children. In the second semester, the Brazilian minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, visited the institution. Several other congressmen were also at the Hospital to learn more about the work carried out and had the opportunity to visit the space where Pequeno Príncipe North will be built. The start of infrastructure – such as land leveling, macro drainage, and paving –, with own resources, was marked by a celebration on December 8th.
The date was chosen to also honor Dona Ety Gonçalves Forte, who celebrated her 85th birthday and the 57 years chairing over the Dr. Raul Carneiro Hospital Association for Childhood Protection, which maintains the Pequeno Príncipe Complex. It was she who dreamed of making Pequeno Príncipe a hospital that goes far beyond the health treatments it offers. And it is she who continues to inspire us, daily, to dream of more equal access to health and other rights for all children.
On December 11th, we recorded another great news for this project: the announcement of a US$ 14 million grant made up of funds from the Government of the State of Paraná, the Legislative Power of Paraná, the federal bench of deputies and from Itaipu Binacional. The resources will enable the construction of the first building that is part of the project, which is a day hospital.
Strengthened teaching
The Pequeno Príncipe North project foresees the construction of assistance and research units and will also house the headquarters of Pequeno Príncipe College, an educational institution focused on training health professionals, which completed 20 years in 2023 with many new features, such as the launch of new face-to-face undergraduate courses and distance learning courses.
The biggest highlight of the year, however, was the top score that the College achieved in the Brazilian Ministry of Education’s recertification assessment. The excellent performance demonstrates the unit’s commitment to the quality of education offered.
In addition to the College, teaching actions also take place within the Hospital, which maintains medical residency programs, in addition to Multiplica PP, a continuing training program for health professionals that completed one year in 2023.
And so, by investing in assistance, research, and teaching, Pequeno Príncipe reinforces its commitment to seeking to be one of the best places in the world to receive and multiply healthcare for children and adolescents.
