Rousseff says shortage of doctors means long patient queues and cost burdens

Criado em 23/10/13 10h12 e atualizado em 23/10/13 10h17
Por Danilo Macedo / Thais Leitão Edição:Carolina Pimentel / Lícia Marques Fonte:Agência Brasil

Brasília – As she officially enacted the More Doctors Program, President Dilma Rousseff said this Tuesday (October 22) that the program will benefit not only the poor and underserved populations – the program's actual target – but also the country's public healthcare system at large: “Just consider how badly the short supply of doctors affects community health centers, emergency care units and hospitals with longer waiting queues and higher cost burdens on the country”.

Launched by the government and passed by Congress last week, the More Doctors program is a massive public healthcare doctor hiring program that aims to address priority and underserved regions, including the outskirts of big cities and small, remote towns and villages. However, it has been met with fierce criticism by leading medical authorities in Brazil. One of its most controversial policies is that it recruits foreign doctors without subjecting them to diploma revalidations.

According to the Ministry of Health's latest update, 1,232 doctors are already working under the program, including 748 Brazilians and 484 doctors with foreign diplomas. Later this month, some other 2,180 doctors who completed their studies abroad are due to start working in the program. The program participants are paid a monthly grant of $4,560 per month plus a cost-of-living allowance by the federal government, whereas their housing and meal costs are covered by local governments.

Editor: Carolina Pimentel / Lícia Marques
Translator: Mayra Borges