Padilha asks for PR's support to approve More Doctors program.
The Minister of Health met today in Congress with Senator Antonio Carlos Rodrigues (PR-SP) to request the support of the party's caucus and, at the end of the meeting, expressed optimism regarding the vote: "I am confident that Congress will understand that the government sought a concrete solution to bring doctors to thousands of Brazilians who do not have access to them."
Mariana Jungmann
Reporter from Agência Brasil
Brasilia – Health Minister Alexandre Padilha was at the National Congress today (27) to defend the approval of the provisional measure dealing with the More Doctors Program. Padilha met with Senator Antonio Carlos Rodrigues (PR-SP) to ask for the support of the party's caucus.
Upon leaving the meeting, the minister said he believes that issues such as the fact that the Cuban government only passes on a portion of the remuneration paid by Brazil to doctors coming from the island will not hinder the approval of the bill. "I am confident that the National Congress will be sensitive and understand that the Ministry of Health and the federal government sought a concrete solution to bring doctors to thousands of Brazilians who do not have access to them," he said.
According to him, the Cubans are in Brazil on a humanitarian mission, in a program that is underway in 58 countries. The minister said that the Brazilian government resorted to the Cuban program after consulting the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). He said that the Cubans have ties to their country's government and, therefore, are in a different situation from doctors who registered individually.
"These situations are different from other foreign doctors. For example, nobody is asking if other foreign doctors, who register individually, come to Brazil without having a guaranteed job in their country of origin. When they finish the three-year program here, when they return to their country, they will not have a guaranteed job. It's different from the humanitarian actions that Cuba does, where the doctor has a permanent link with their country. They have a guaranteed job, they receive not only their salary in their country, but also a bonus for being on an external mission; their family is protected, also receiving remuneration, and they will receive remuneration here in Brazil," said Padilha.
Provisional Measure (MP) 621, which deals with the More Doctors Program, is under analysis in the special joint committee, where it will receive amendments from parliamentarians. After being approved by the committee, it goes to the Chamber of Deputies and then to the Senate.
Edited by: Beto Coura