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Three Gynecologists from Heliópolis Hospital in South São Paulo Were Caught Shopping, Taking Classes, and Doing Pilates Between November 17 and 26 While Residents Have Been Waiting for More Than 6 Months for an Appointment, Even with Combined Salaries of More Than R$ 210 Thousand Between January and October 2025.
Between November 17 and 26, an investigation by TV Globo caught three gynecologists from the specialty outpatient clinic of the Heliópolis Hospital Complex in South São Paulo away from their shifts at times they should be attending to patients. While women like sisters Rita and Gil have been hearing for over 6 months that “there are no slots for gynecologists,” the doctors were seen giving classes, shopping, and even taking pilates classes while the waiting list continues to grow.
A schedule posted in the reception shows that Márcia Camilos, Silmara Fialho, and Mara Gomes are responsible for patient care, but one of them has been on leave for a year with a 365-day medical certificate for “impaired work capacity” and is still active in private practice and at conferences. From January to October 2025, the three received over R$ 210 thousand in salaries from the State of São Paulo, a sum that will now be analyzed after the State Health Department ordered the social organization Albert Einstein to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation of the allegations.
Residents of Heliópolis Have Been Without an Appointment for More Than 6 Months
In the Heliópolis favela, in the southern region of the capital, the routine of Mrs. Rita and her sister Gil is one of hard work and humiliation.
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They have been trying to schedule an appointment with gynecologists for over 6 months and always hear the same response at the health unit: “there is no slot for a gynecologist, we are out of doctors”. The basic right to gynecological care has been indefinitely postponed.
Meanwhile, the specialty outpatient clinic of the Heliópolis Hospital Complex keeps informing the public that the schedule includes three gynecologists.
In practice, however, the doors remain closed for patients, who are told that there are no slots, no doctors, and no forecast for the return of consultations, even with the team formally complete.
Márcia Camilos: Official Leave, Private Practice, and Conference Circuits
The first on the schedule is gynecologist Márcia Camilos. According to a publication in the Official Gazette, she has been on leave from the hospital for a year with a medical certificate for 365 days for “impaired work capacity,” indicating that her health has been affected to the point of preventing or hindering work. Despite this, the report found a full schedule in her private practice in the Jardins region in São Paulo.
When calling the private clinic, the team was informed that there were available time slots with the doctor on December 17, at 8, 9, and 10 a.m.
On social media, Márcia herself recorded her participation in scientific events: in May, she mentioned teaching a pre-congress course at a convention center in the capital; in September, she spoke for three days in Goiânia; in October, she was at the Paulo Guimarães Institute in Brasília.
In other words, while she is on leave from public service, the gynecologist maintains an active routine of classes, lectures, and private consultations.
When contacted, gynecologist Márcia Camilos stated that the hospital administration is fully aware of her leave and all the documentation presented.
However, there is no clear explanation for the discrepancy between her inability to work at Heliópolis Hospital and her busy schedule of private practice and conferences.
Silmara Fialho: Early Leavings, Delays, and Shopping During Shift
The work schedule of gynecologist Silmara Fialho provides for attendance on Mondays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. On November 17, a Monday, she clocked in at 7:38 a.m. and was recorded by the team moving between patient appointments.
At 1 p.m., two hours before the official end of her shift, she left the hospital and did not return to clock out, effectively ending her workday early.
On November 19, a Wednesday, Silmara arrived an hour late, started attending patients, and stopped seeing patients around 12:30 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., still independent of whether the shift was ongoing, the gynecologist was seen shopping in a commercial area of South São Paulo.
She still had at least an hour and a half of her workday to complete at Heliópolis Hospital when she was spotted browsing stores, far from patients waiting for care.
The following week, on November 24 and 26, the gynecologist did not show up for work. When calling the unit, the response was that “not this week, as she will not be attending this week”, confirming her complete absence on days she should be on duty.
The report attempted to contact Silmara Fialho by phone five times and also through messaging apps but did not receive a response.
Mara Gomes: Pilates in Another City and Lunch Out During Work Hours
The third gynecologist on the schedule is Mara Gomes. Records show that she should work 10-hour shifts on Mondays and Wednesdays and 6-hour shifts on Fridays at Heliópolis Hospital.
But in practice, the report found long periods of absence during her shifts.
On November 19, around 12:10 p.m., Mara was filmed returning to the outpatient clinic after being away from the hospital for approximately three hours.
During that time, she attended a pilates class and then had lunch, only returning to start her shift in consultation room 5.
Her starting time had been at 7 a.m., and until leaving for pilates, there was no record of her attending any patients in the outpatient clinic.
On Monday, November 24, the pattern repeated. Mara clocked in, left the hospital, and went to a pilates class in São Caetano, a neighboring city, at 9 a.m. when she should have been fully attending to public service.
Only in the afternoon did she return to Heliópolis Hospital to see patients, adding another day where part of her scheduled hours was diverted to personal activities.
Gynecologist Mara Gomes was also persistently contacted by the report via phone and messages but, like Silmara Fialho, did not respond to any of the contacts nor provided explanations for her absences and departures during work hours.
Salaries Above R$ 210 Thousand and Reaction from the Health Secretariat and Einstein
According to the Transparency Portal of the State of São Paulo, between January and October 2025, gynecologists Márcia Camilos, Mara Gomes, and Silmara Fialho received a total of over R$ 210 thousand in salaries paid with public funds.
This amount considers only the first ten months of the year and does not include any additional benefits that may exist.
After the release of the images and reports, the State Health Department stated in a note that it has ordered the social organization Albert Einstein, responsible for managing the Heliópolis Hospital, to conduct a “thorough and immediate investigation into the facts”.
The department declared that it repudiates any conduct incompatible with professional ethics and stated that, if the irregularities are confirmed, the professionals involved could face administrative, labor, and legal sanctions.
The Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, for its part, did not directly comment on the allegations made in the report regarding the behavior of the gynecologists.
In a statement, it merely informed that it has begun implementing improvements in internal controls, such as facial biometrics timekeeping, to enhance the supervision of its staff.
The expectation now is that the investigation moves forward and that eventual responsibilities are effectively applied, in respect to the patients who depend on the SUS.
And you, have you ever had a gynecologist appointment delayed or canceled at SUS due to lack of doctors or empty shifts at the health post in your neighborhood?
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