Bruno Born Hospital (HBB) - a crucial healthcare institution in the Lajeado region of Rio Grande do Sul - was forced to evacuate some areas, including Information Technology (IT) equipment, due to the recent floods that have hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In an emergency response, the IT equipment in the data center was transferred to the Universidade do Vale do Taquari (Univates), where there was electricity and internet access. 

The hospital's connectivity was quickly restored thanks to the agile coordination between Univates and RNP, through the organization's Point of Presence in the state (PoP-RS), which authorized internet access via its infrastructure, allowing the resumption of essential services. 

“We know that a hospital without internet and without a system to handle all its communications has great difficulty in its operations. So, since RNP already has a partnership with Univates, we had the configuration ready, just waiting for RNP’s approval. The response came quickly and so we made a quick effort to resolve the situation,” says Bruno Lorensi, network analyst at PoP-RS. 

While many carriers and service providers in the region faced severe impacts, Univates, which hosts a Traffic Exchange Point (PTT), managed to maintain minimally functional communications. However, HBB, as the main hospital in the region, faced enormous challenges in meeting demand, given the difficulty of mobility for many professionals in getting to work and the lack of communication with health insurance companies. 

“The two internet providers we had went offline. So, to maintain the hospital’s services, we found a solution by working with Univates and RNP to provide a temporary internet link. This allowed us to maintain internal communication until we could reestablish the services,” highlights Fabricio Scheunemann, HBB’s operational manager. 

For Ari Frazão, deputy director of engineering and operations at RNP, the hospital’s continued operation, especially in times of emergency like this, requires agility and solidarity between institutions. “Although this is not an RNP client organization, knowing how important internet access is for its operation and its relevance in the current scenario in Rio Grande do Sul, we decided to make this exception until it can recover its connectivity.” 

According to Tiago Giovanaz da Silva, IT Support and Infrastructure Coordinator at Univates, the speed with which the institutions organized themselves to respond to the hospital's call for help was crucial in providing medical care to the affected families. "We had already gone through some moments of crisis here last year, but we understood that this situation was much more complicated and that the hospital would play an extremely important role, as it is one of the ones best able to help the population. So, I believe that, with the support of RNP, we were able to really help the region." 

Around 20 hospitals were affected by the rains in Rio Grande do Sul. Among the most affected are the Bruno Born hospital in Lajeado, Mãe de Deus hospital in Porto Alegre, and the Canoas Municipal Hospital. 

In times of crisis like this, solidarity between different entities becomes increasingly necessary. RNP is available to collaborate and seek joint solutions, recognizing the need for mutual support in times of adversity.