The SUS – Sistema Único de Saúde (Unified Health System) – is the sole healthcare provision for the inhabitants of Amazonas' interior (and Brazil)

Resumen

The indispensability of this system to the lives of all Brazilians (and even foreigners) is beyond dispute! It ranks among the world's largest and most efficient public health systems, and it is indeed effective. Are improvements necessary? Undoubtedly. Everything requires refinement, but ignorance and prejudice fuel unproductive and reductive criticism.

Have you ever considered that there are individuals whose only recourse is the SUS? That without this public health system, they might not survive? Regardless of the criticisms leveled against the SUS (many stemming from ignorance and improper use of the system), it remains vital to the lives of countless individuals, especially those residing in remote, riverside, and rural areas.

In much of the interior of Amazonas, cities lack medium and high complexity health services; often, even basic services and professionals such as dentists, public health specialists, doctors (across almost all specialties), nutritionists, physiotherapists, psychologists, and many others are missing. Consequently, the wonderful Nursing staff, integrated into Primary Health Care, shoulders the responsibility.

The SUS functions through the dedication and labor of Nursing professionals (unjustly undervalued and underpaid, with little recognition in Brazil). Nursing is the cornerstone of the nation's health system. I proclaim this repeatedly! Without nursing, there would be no SUS, no healthcare; let us be candid.

Nurses fulfill a pivotal role in delivering primary health services, undertaking tasks from initial reception and triage to administering medications, dressing wounds, and monitoring vital signs. They spearhead immunization initiatives, organizing campaigns to prevent endemic and seasonal diseases in the Amazon region. Furthermore, they provide comprehensive support in women's health, from prenatal to postpartum care. In pediatric health, they conduct developmental assessments and monitor children's growth. For the elderly, they offer multifaceted care, particularly in fall prevention and chronic disease management, thereby significantly enhancing their quality of life.

Beyond essential care, nurses are instrumental in health education, empowering...