Padilha announces 'More Doctors in São Paulo'

SP 247 - During a visit to the Basic Health Unit of Jardim Munhoz Junior, in Osasco, the candidate from the "Para Mudar de Verdade" coalition, Alexandre Padilha, announced the proposal for a São Paulo version of the "Mais Médicos" program, focusing on increasing the number of specialists. The doctors will be Brazilian professionals. "The people need pediatricians, neurologists, orthopedists. That's the challenge. I solved the problem of doctors in the health center, now we're going to overcome this other obstacle," said Padilha.

The program's objective is to attract specialist doctors to the public healthcare system, prioritizing specialties with high demand and long waiting lists, such as cardiology, orthopedics, psychiatry, neurology and neurosurgery, urology, pediatric surgery, otolaryngology, geriatrics, oncology, and dermatology.

The "Mais Médicos Paulista" program will also stimulate the creation of the 16 new medical schools already authorized for the State of São Paulo. The schools will be located in the cities of Araçatuba, Araras, Assis, Bauru, Cubatão, Indaiatuba, Jaú, Limeira, Mauá, Osasco, Pindamonhangaba, Piracicaba, Rio Claro, São Bernardo do Campo, São José dos Campos, and Guarujá. In addition to these 16 cities, Guarulhos could become the 17th, as it awaits a decision on an appeal to also host a new medical school.

The program also foresees the opening of residency positions in specialties with the greatest unmet demand. In total, there should be approximately 3 residency positions for the specialties included in the program. "São Paulo can be the great center for training specialists," commented the candidate. The program also foresees the adaptation of working conditions (equipment, support staff, materials), maintaining coordination with support centers and technical updates.

At the federal level, the "Mais Médicos" program, created by Padilha during his tenure at the Ministry of Health, brought primary care professionals to 50 million Brazilians. "I will give opportunities to Brazilian doctors, both from São Paulo and other states. For specialties, we need to bring doctors from here. Foreign doctors are the ones who guarantee care at the health center; now we want to bring in specialists," explained Padilha.

Padilha also reinforced his commitment to adopting a quota system for admission to state universities, so that low-income students also have access to free public medical courses.

After visiting the UBS (Basic Health Unit), accompanied by Senator Eduardo Suplicy, the mayor of Osasco, Jorge Lapas, the campaign coordinator and state president of the PT (Workers' Party), Emidio de Souza, and the candidates for federal deputy Valmir Prascidelli and state deputy Marcos Martins, Padilha visited the Morro do Sabão community, which was urbanized by the PAC (Growth Acceleration Program), with works including stream canalization, containment of risk areas, and social housing through the "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" (My House, My Life) program.

"We came here to Osasco to show works already completed that are truly benefiting the people. It's funny that the governor is now scheduling an event here to announce, once again, the implementation of the Osasco Cancer Hospital, which he has been promising for years," said Padilha, whose work at the Ministry of Institutional Relations was crucial in securing federal funding for the works in Morro do Sabão and, while Minister of Health, for the UBS (Basic Health Unit) in Jardim Munhoz Junior.

When questioned by the press about his plans for transportation, Padilha also reaffirmed his commitment to implementing the Metropolitan Single Ticket. "Every person traveling in any city within the Metropolitan Region who needs to take a bus, subway, or train will only pay one fare." The candidate also highlighted the need to modernize the CPTM trains, which serve the city of Osasco on lines 7-Ruby and 8-Diamond, as well as initiating studies to extend the subway there, similar to what will be done in Taboão da Serra and Guarulhos.