Dilma: commitment is to strengthen healthcare in the interior.
The president announced the National Medical Education Plan for October, during the inaugural lecture of the medical course at the Garanhuns Campus of the University of Pernambuco.
During the inaugural lecture for the medical course at the Garanhuns Campus of the University of Pernambuco (UPE), President Dilma Rousseff announced that she will launch the National Medical Education Plan in October. According to the president, the goal is to increase the number of doctors graduating annually in Brazil by 4,5. She also highlighted that the government wants to expand medical courses to the interior of the country and provide incentives to those who complete residencies in medical areas where there is a shortage within the Unified Health System (SUS).
"We will spare no effort to ensure quality in undergraduate and residency medical education," said the president, adding that there is "a serious problem afflicting us, which is the shortage of doctors." Dilma recalled that 28% of the Brazilian population lives in the Northeast and that only 17% of doctors are trained in that region. The president acknowledged that there is a shortage of these professionals throughout Brazil, but warned that the shortage is more acute in the interior of the country, particularly in the North, Northeast, and Central-West regions.
Throughout the event, including the 30 minutes in which President Dilma Rousseff spoke, a group of about 50 protesters, made up of striking employees of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, tried to disrupt the ceremony with shouts, whistles, and horns.
Dilma recalled that, during the presidential campaign, there was a commitment to improve the quality of public services in education, health, and security. "I will seek ways to improve this." Addressing the students directly, the president said that she "dared to invite the students to create ties with the region, make friends, date, marry, and help transform this region into a center of excellence. This depends on you and on us. The interior of Brazil needs more doctors and good doctors."
The president added that the federal government is determined to change the distribution of medical professionals in the country and to offer incentives for them to stay in rural areas. "We will invest heavily in the SUS (Unified Health System) and in residency programs that can benefit underserved areas, offering access to higher scores, for example, in residency programs when a student is interested in a course where there is a shortage. You will not be without work," she emphasized.