Mais Médicos Program was created in 2013 with the aim of expanding the supply of health professionals across the country.| Photo: Karina Zambrana/Ministry of Health

Renamed “More Health” and with an increase in health professionals, such as dentists, nurses and social workers, the “More Doctors” program will be relaunched this Monday (20) by the federal government’s Ministry of Health.

According to a post on Twitter by Paulo Pimenta, chief minister of the Secretariat of Communication of the Presidency of the Republic, the objective is “to work to improve the SUS with investments in the construction and renovation of Basic Units, expanding services in Brazil” and with incentives to maintain professionals in the municipalities.

Following the line of speeches by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the minister criticized the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and highlighted the public policy created by the management of former President Dilma Rousseff (PT). According to him, the program “became responsible for 100% of primary care in 1,039 municipalities.”

Although Pimenta mentioned the initial version of “More” Doctors, the reissue will not include the participation of professionals from the Cuban dictatorship, a controversial measure that was at the heart of Dilma’s program.

The federal government considers that the number of Brazilian doctors has increased in recent years and it would not be necessary to resort to foreigners. In the 2013 version, of the 18,200 professionals, 11,000 were from Cuba and 75% of the salary was directed to the dictatorship led at the time by Raúl Castro. In addition, the professionals’ diplomas were not subject to revalidation in order to work in Brazil.