The current devaluation of primary health care professionals

The current devaluation of primary health care professionals has caused significant greed for specialties. The complexity of the selections for specialization has grown because of the need for an increasingly rigid choice for medical specialty candidates. This is due to the growing devaluation of primary health care professionals.

The Brazilian public health service is based on the division of the system into levels of complexity, with primary care as the main gateway. Therefore, the number of Basic Health Units is considerably higher, aiming to attend most of the patients. Due to the large number of units, administration often renders these services unserviceable and inadequate, thus making working conditions harder.

Basic health care is essential for the universality of clinical care, because it can effectively treat low complex injuries, being responsible for resolving up to 80% of the demands brought to the service, reducing to 20% the need for specialized care with bigger cost and complexity. In addition, primary health care professionals are responsible for health promotion and early interventions, which contributes to the prevention of more complex diseases. Herewith, the reduction of the availability of professionals dedicated to primary care, demands in the increase of the costs associated with health care.