Quality healthcare available to those most in need

BRASILIA.— The mission "More Doctors" concluded its first year with 14,462 doctors working in 3,819 municipalities in Brazil and providing health coverage to 51 million citizens. Launched in July 2013 by President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, the program is designed to expand medical consultations to the population by increasing the number of health professionals in the country. Statistics from the Brazilian Ministry of Health indicate that out of the total number of doctors working in the country, 11,400 are Cuban. On Tuesday, July 8, Rousseff commented – via social media networks - on the first anniversary of More Doctors, stating "With impressive numbers, the program has been a great success since its birth." She continued, "Cities previously isolated and without access to preventative health services, now have quality primary care doctors." Rousseff highlighted that medical coverage provided in almost 700 cities which had previously been lacking doctors has produced a 20% reduction in hospital referrals, also emphasizing that more than 50 million people have received care in the country. Additionally, she congratulated all the medical staff and beneficiaries of the program, before sharing an article from Agência PT de Notícias entitled "With More Doctors, a health revolution celebrates its first year." In the article journalist Bruno Bucis quoted Cuban doctor Irianna Ramadan - working in the municipality of Águas Lindas de Goiás, 50 kilometers from Brasilia - stating "As well as treating, our mission is to change habits and life styles…There is no better reward than receiving a patients appreciation, knowing that you are making a difference to someone’s life. This is why I love my profession," she concluded. Meanwhile, Secretary of Labor Management and Health Education in Brazil, Eider Pinto, stated that the increase in primary care consultations has also had a positive impact on reducing the rates of infant, maternal, diabetic and hypertensive mortality. Now the people know that they have a doctor close to their house and feel more reassured, which has a significant social impact, stated Pinto. (Granma International news staff)