Brazil's Grande ABC region receives R$170.2 million health funding, doctors' union seeks contract reforms

The federal government transferred R$170.2 million to the seven municipalities of the Grande ABC region for health care in June. The money, split between operating and investment allocations, was disbursed directly from the National Health Fund to municipal accounts. São Bernardo received the largest share (about R$69.5 million), followed by Santo André (R$46.8 million) and Mauá (R$34.6 million); the other cities received smaller amounts.

The Sindicato dos Médicos do Grande ABC (SindMed) presented a proposal to the ministries of Health and Labour for a regional pilot that would replace precarious “pejotização” contracts with a federally‑backed career model for SUS workers. The plan calls for mandatory public‑service recruitment through concursos, statutory or CLT contracts, career progression, and a quality‑of‑link indicator linked to federal transfers. Union president Leandro Altrão noted that over 90 % of UPA doctors and about 70 % of UBS doctors currently work under fragile contracts.