Gov’t gears up to have another 5 thousand doctors to fight coronavirus

Health agents will work on major urban centers

Published on 11/03/2020 - 11:19 By Agência Brasil* - undefined

The Brazilian Health Ministry will launch a call for applications to draw 5 thousand professionals to work under the More Doctors program. The idea is to boost health assistance during the coronavirus crisis. Agents should start working in around three weeks.

The government expects the move to strengthen health care at health stations and prevent people from going to hospitals unnecessarily. Capitals and major urban centers have been once again brought into the scope of the initiative, which had focused on underserved municipalities.

“The professionals joining the program will provide the population with general care alongside teams under Saúde da Família [Family Care], the main gateway to the Unified Health Care System [Brazil’s nationwide network of public hospitals],” said João Gabbardo, executive secretary with the Health Ministry, adding that all services under Primary Health Care have been included, from routine consultations to patients exhibiting respiratory symptoms.

*With information from the Health Ministry

Translation: Fabrício Ferreira -  Edition: Narjara Carvalho / Nira Foster

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