The City Hall of Votorantim, Brazil, has decided against closing six neonatal ICU beds, instead opting to open four additional ones for a total of ten. This reversal comes in light of financial and technical issues that led to the initial decision to close the ICU, but the state government has now guaranteed funding for the necessary services.

Initially, the city planned to close the ICU due to financial constraints as the agreement with the managing institution of the municipal hospital was nearing its end. However, following a meeting between Mayor Weber Manga and the State Secretary of Health, Eleuses Paiva, on the same day this decision was publicly announced, assurances were made that the state would cover the full costs, allowing the neonatal ICU to remain operational.

The affected facility, the Hospital Municipal Dr. Lauro Roberto Fogaça, is set to benefit significantly from this state support, as it will now have ten operational neonatal ICU beds. This situation underscores the importance of state-level assistance in sustaining local health services, especially critical neonatal care, amid ongoing financial pressures faced by municipal governments.