Saúde pública no Brasil em tempos de pandemia: a reestruturação do Sistema Único de Saúde no contexto da Covid-19

Abstract

Public health is a topic widely discussed by civil society, governance at the municipal, state, federal level and by social movements. It was with the promulgation of the Federal Constitution of 1988, that we witnessed a scenario in which users approached the Unified Health System (SUS), which guaranteed them access, attention and health care; as well as for the entire Brazilian population. Before this period, it was seen that health was destined for those who contribute to social security, that is, a small portion of society. Despite all the structural gaps and scarcity of resources, the SUS is the only free gateway for users and, as written in the Magna Carta, the principles of equity, universality and integrality must be preserved. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world saw its economic, social and political foundations weaken, where more than 6 million people were affected and victimized by the disease. This research, which carries out a situational analysis, is of a qualitative-quantitative nature and was the result of essential readings of bibliographical and documentary sources, qualitative-quantitative. In an attempt to provide a critical view of neoliberalism and the strengthening of the current outrageous form of politics, aspects were traced from the military dictatorship to redemocratization, with left-wing governments and, paradoxically, the rise of liberal governments. It was also seen that, during the management of the previous government – Mr. Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian society was devastated by two evils. The COVID-19 pandemic and the federal government's irresponsibility in terms of confronting it and caring for the population during this chaotic scenario that lasted more intensely from 2020 to 2022. Alongside the problems brought about by the pandemic, the SUS needed restructure to guarantee services such as: tracking, testing, hospitalization in beds with respirators, hospitalizations in clinical beds, palliative medicines, mass vaccination and among other necessary care, transforming the common routine of service stations into specialized places for treatment and hospitalization of patients. It will also highlight the current contradictions of the State, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and how government interests have affected the lives of Brazilians by subordinating science and neglecting the measures adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization of Nations United (UN). At the end of this work, it will be possible to expand the field of vision regarding the Coronavirus pandemic and the critical stance towards neoliberalism and in particular the government of President Jair Messias Bolsonaro, in the management measures of the Unified Health System.