We have been in Brazil now for a week. Much has happened in so little time. It is good to have some time to reflect on the meaning of what we have experienced. We have had the unique opportunity to see parts of Brazil that tourists do not see. In preparation for the trip we had spent a great deal of time reading books and articles about Brazil. It has been good to do more than just read about Brazil. I have learned that Rio is more than Sugar Loaf Mountain and the beaches.
I was most interested in learning more about Brazil investment in primary health care. According to the World Health Organization ⟨WHO ⟩, Brazil started the Family Health Program in 1994 which created teams of health professionals who would go out in to the community and provide comprehensive primary health care. According to WHO, the program reaches over 70% of Brazil's population. It has a decentralized community-based approach. We were able to visit one such clinic yesterday.
The Pindaro De Carvalho Rodrigues Center is located on a busy street about a 5 minute walk from our host university the Pontifical Universidade Catolica. As we walked to the clinic , I was struck by how much it seemed to be part of the neighborhood. It was close to the street with only a low gate separating the clinic from the bus line. People would walk in and out of the clinic easily.
The center provides comprehensive care to the local population. Services include gynecology, dentistry, services to children and families, occupational therapy, psychology, family health, nutrition, immunizations, and epidemiology.
We were given a tour of the clinic by a nurse, Monica. She had worked in the center for 10 years and was very enthusiastic about her work. As she took us through the clinic I was impressed by how up to date and modern the clinic was when compared to my expectations. One of the most impressive initiatives dealt with Tuberculosis Surveillance and HIVAIDs. According to Monica, teams of health professionals will track and map all cases of tuberculosis within their geographic area. The center would then offer treatment to both the patient and all those who have come in contact with the patient. In this way the spread of tuberculosis is contained. All medications and surveillance is free to the population.
The clinic offered rapid HIV testing and counseling. It has a pharmacy that dispenses the medications to fight AIDS. These medications are free to HIV patients.
The clinic has an exercise area next to its main treatment area called the Academia Carioca or Rio Fitness. It had a good supply of equipment that could be used by the community including exercise bikes and stair climbers. During our visit we saw several members of the community using the equipment.
One of the most successful initiatives of the Family Health Program has been the immunizations program. Vaccinations are offered free of charge to families and children. There was a recent successful initiative to immunize against Dengue Fever.
The visit to Pindaro De Carvalho Rodrigues was a great opportunity to see how Brazil's investment in primary care is working and how much impact it can have on their neighborhood.
I am glad you mentioned that medicines are dispensed for free. I know one point of view is that this would cost the government too much, but it seems like waiting until people are dying and need emergency care services costs a lot more in the long run. I think we have a lot to learn from our Brazilian friends about how to manage health care, although as we learned today,there are still large holes in the Brazilian system, as well.
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