Chamber approves MP of the new Mais Médicos program

The Chamber of Deputies approved this Wednesday (14) Provisional Measure 1165/23, which changes the More Doctors program. The MP allows for the extension of contracts and the creation of indemnities to encourage the exercise of activity in areas that are difficult to establish. There were 353 to 58 votes. The text will be sent to the Senate.

According to the opinion of the rapporteur, Senator Zenaide Maia (PSD-RN), instead of the definitive waiver of revalidation of the diploma for the exchange doctor, he will be able to participate in the program for four years without the need for this revalidation. Before the MP, the period was three years.

The approved text foresees that the visa period for the foreign exchange doctor will increase from three to four years, extendable for the same period, informed the Câmara Agency. The requirement, however, remains to act exclusively in teaching, research and extension activities within the scope of the More Doctors for Brazil project.

In order to provide flexibility in the allocation of physicians in case of unfilled vacancies, the Ministry of Health may implement selection criteria for the redistribution of physicians enrolled in the same state with unfilled vacancies.

The Revalida exam, one of the stages for obtaining registration for the practice of medicine in Brazil by those trained abroad, changes from half-yearly to four-monthly.

An agreement between the government and the opposition led to the approval in plenary of a highlight of the PL to remove a device that would allow candidates approved in periodic evaluations for the period of 48 months of performance, to count on exemption from the practical test of clinical skills. So they will still have to take this practical exam.

The text determines that all the new rules introduced in Law 12,871/13 will also apply to doctors selected in public notices published in 2022 and with terms of membership effective in 2023 or to those who became part of the program by virtue of a court decision in 2023. The MP’s vote on the new Mais Médicos program was made after an agreement between the government and the opposition to maintain Revalida’s rules.