Brazilian municipalities grapple with SUS funding shortfalls and appointment backlogs

In Mirandópolis, São Paulo, municipal health officials reported 8,370 missed appointments, examinations and procedures between January and April 2026, highlighting chronic absenteeism that strained local services and overflowed into regional SUS facilities. The largest gaps occurred in physiotherapy (3,966 missed visits), the specialized care center (1,367) and the regulation unit (640). Missed appointments also affected primary health units across the city and neighboring districts, disrupting follow‑up care in psychology, speech therapy, nutrition and several medical specialties.

In Ananindeua, Pará, former mayor Daniel Santos faces allegations of withholding SUS funds, contributing to the closure of the municipal Hospital Anita Gerosa and financial strains on the Centro de Hemodiálise Ari Gonçalves and the Hospital das Clínicas. The state public prosecutor's office has sought judicial intervention to address the suspected mismanagement of roughly R$ 1 billion transferred to the local health system between 2021 and 2024. Investigations also examine potential links between Santos and the private hospital he once co‑owned, as well as irregularities at the state assistance institute IASEP.