Dilma criticizes the destruction of the Popular Pharmacy program: the coup is bad for public health.
In a text published on her website, Dilma Rousseff warns that Michel Temer is "ending the 'Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular' program," which guarantees the population's access to medicines; "This week, Temer de-accredited 1.729 pharmacies that participated in the agreement. Last year, he had already cut funding to the industries," highlights Dilma, for whom Temer is making a "stupid economy"; "The coup does much more than destroy democracy. Through negligence, inhumanity, and lack of concern for the lives of the people, the coup also harms their health," she adds.
By Dilma Rousseff, in your site - The coup government is ending "Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular," one of the most important programs ever implemented in Brazil to guarantee the population's access to medicines.
"Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular" is a network of tens of thousands of private pharmacies accredited by the government to offer 42 medications, 25 of which are free and the rest with discounts of up to 90%. These are medicines for the treatment of some of the diseases that most affect Brazilians, such as hypertension, asthma, and diabetes.
Created by President Lula in 2006, the "Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular" (Here There's a Popular Pharmacy) program was expanded by me and became a global benchmark. During my administration, "Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular" reached a network of nearly 35 accredited pharmacies, operating in 4.282 municipalities. Through this network, almost 18 million people were able to buy discounted medications, and 30,5 million received medications free of charge, starting with the creation, in 2011, of the "Saúde Não Tem Preço" (Health Has No Price) program.
To give an idea of the importance and reach of the "Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular" program, the number of diabetics and hypertensive patients benefiting from it increased from 853 in January 2011 to 26,8 million in March 2016, a growth of 837,6%.
Free medication and discounts are available to everyone, but they primarily benefit low-income workers, the impoverished middle class, and retirees.
Two practical results of the program were a 20% reduction in hospital admissions due to hypertension-related illnesses, and a 16% reduction due to asthma attacks. The reduction in hospital intervention costs far outweighs the cost of the program.
Because the coup government, which in a Freudian slip confessed that it is making Brazil "go back 20 years in 2," is now reducing the network of the "Aqui Tem Farmácia Popular" program. This week, it de-accredited 1.729 pharmacies that participated in the agreement, continuing a systematic process of destroying the program. Last year, the coup government had already cut part of the funding to the industries that produced the offered medications.
When the coup government reduces the program and signals its extinction, it is making a foolish economy by forcing an increase in demand for hospitals, and above all a perverse economy by putting the health and lives of tens of millions of Brazilians at risk.
The coup does much more than destroy democracy. Through negligence, inhumanity, and a lack of concern for the lives of the people, the coup also harms their health.