Vinculação institucional de um trabalhador sui generiso agente comunitário de saúde

Resumo

In this paper, the labor and institutional relations of Community Health Workers (CHW) in Brazil´s Unified Health System are discussed. The discussion is based on two basic principles: a) that labor relations should situate these workers as part of the formal workforce, with all of the social rights guaranteed; b) that these relations be adequately adjusted to the necessary and sui generis social characteristics of these workers which include their identification with their community of origin, propensity for promoting solidarity and mutual assistance. The first requirement is abandoned when CHW are maintained with informal or precarious work contracts, as currently occurs with a large part of these workers. The second requirement is neglected when they are treated in the same fashion as other public servants of the municipal bureaucracy, which can lead to rupture of their ties to the community. After studying the range of possible institutional relations, the authors recommend that, to the degree possible, CHW be contracted under the laws for employees which govern the private sector (consolidated labor law) via formal agreements between municipal health offices and non-profit nongovernmental organizations. They hold that such a partnership provides an ideal institutional interface to meet the two requirements described above, and is a part of a new social paradigm which explores possible routes of synergy between the Principle of the State and the Principle of the Community. Finally, the difficulties which exist to put such a paradigm into effect under current conditions in Brazil, in light of the immaturity of the institutions in civil society, are cited.

Ficha do documento

Tipo

Estudo

Ano

2000

Instituição

Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (Ipea)

Fonte

Repositório do Ipea

Idioma

Português

Acesso

Acesso aberto

Identificador

oai:repositorio.ipea.gov.br:11058/2371

Licença

Licença Comum

Abrangência

Brasil

Temas

Saúde

Palavras-chave

Agente comunitário de saúde (ACS)Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)Direitos do trabalhador