In the regions of the North and Northeast the lack of medical assistance is even more evident; CFM defends incentive actions
Despite the increase in the number of doctors in recent years, an unequal distribution of professionals between capitals and internal cities persists in the country. According to the new Medical Demography, published on Tuesday 15th Federal Council of Medicine (FMC)the number of doctors in Brazil increased from 304,406 to 575,930 between 2010 and 2024, an increase of 89.19%. However, this expansion was not enough to correct the disparities.
Currently 52% of doctors are concentrated in the capitals, where only 23% of Brazilians live. In the hinterland municipalities, however, 77% of the population lives, but in these areas only 48% of doctors are available. In practical terms this means that, in large centres, the average is 7.03 doctors per thousand inhabitants, which is equivalent to approximately 142 patients per doctor. In rural towns, a single practitioner would have to care for, on average, 529 patients.
In some specific regions, such as the North and Northeast, this disparity is even more evident. In the interior of Roraima, for example, only 32 doctors are registered, for an average of 7,143 patients per single professional. In the interior of the Amazon there are 0.2 doctors for every thousand patients, the equivalent of 5 thousand people per doctor. In Sergipe there are on average 2,703 residents for the same profession.
Meanwhile in Vitória (ES) the situation is reversed: there are 18.7 professionals medicinal for every thousand people, which would theoretically translate into a less excessive workload, greater ease of obtaining treatment and a shorter waiting list. Even in capitals such as Porto Alegre (RS), Florianópolis (SC) and Belo Horizonte (MG), the rate is higher: there are respectively 11.82, 10.49 and 9.7 doctors per thousand inhabitants.
Causes of inequality
According to the president of the CFM, José Hiran Gallo, the inequality in the distribution of doctors goes beyond the issue of remuneration. It is linked to structural and logistical aspects that make it difficult to retain professionals outside the large centres. “There has to be a laboratory, there has to be hospital beds, working and living conditions,” he said. “It’s not just the salary that we live on. We also live on the general context. And when the doctor moves, he moves with the family,” added Gallo.
The 2nd secretary and director of communications of the CFM, Estevam Rivello, underlined that there are some specialties that are difficult to practice in places without specific structures and recalled that, in the context of public health, the responsibility for hiring doctors lies with the mayors and municipal secretaries. For him, a way to address inequality in the distribution of specialists and the need for referral requests specialized services would be to expand dialogue between city and state health departments, improve queue flow, and utilize solutions such as telemedicine.
“Today almost 75% of the Brazilian population depends on SUS and 25% on supplementary healthcare,” Gallo recalled. “Meanwhile there are regions where doctors simply don’t stay. Rondônia, for example, has 12 medical schools, but, As soon as they graduate, doctors go to other places. In Acri the same thing: almost 70% of trained doctors move. Why? Because the State does not promote incentive actions”, he stated.
The second vice president of the CFM, Rosylane Rocha, suggested the creation of public competitions to attract professionals to the regions with the greatest deficit. He also highlighted that states that adopt policies aimed at developing career plans have a better chance of mobilizing professionals. “We see it in professions such as magistrates and the federal police,” he exemplified.
Quantity x quality
With the growth in the number of doctors in Brazil, mainly driven by expansion of medical schoolsthe national average of health workers per thousand inhabitants reached 3.07 in 2024, surpassing countries such as the United States (2.7 per thousand), Japan and South Korea (both with 2.6 per thousand). Some localities have played a significant role in this increase, recording rates higher than the national average, such as the Federal District (6.3), Rio de Janeiro (4.3), Sao Paulo (3.7), Espírito Santo (3, 6), Minas Gerais (3.5) and Rio Grande do Sul (3.4).
However, this numerical growth does not necessarily reflect an improvement in the quality of medical education. According to Gallo, the increase in medical courses in the country has not been accompanied by minimum technical standards, such as requiring university hospitals to provide practical training. For CFM, one of the ways to ensure the quality of professionals entering the market would be to apply proficiency tests to evaluate new graduates.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
