Working conditions of Family Health Teams of the municipality of Petrolina-PE: perceptions of health care professionals

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.2013374433438

Abstract

The study aims to evaluate the profile of ESF (Family Health Teams) in the city of Petrolina (Pernambuco, Brazil), concerning
physical and structural conditions of the ESF and concerning the quality of health services rendered to the population, by
analyzing the main problems to be faced by health professionals at work. An observational descriptive study was conducted
based on a semi-structured questionnaire intended to health professionals from several categories working at Petrolina’s ESF.
Among the services provided by the municipality in the ESF, mentioned by the professionals, the ones considered as more
effective were vaccination, nursing services and prenatal care, while pharmacy and dentistry were considered the most precarious.
The units’ structure was reported by 43% of the professional as the main problem that hinders the implementation of
services in the units and 27% said that the units in which they work cannot meet the demand. The shortage of professionals
coupled with lack of equipment, supplies and medicines preclude the working practices, lagging the current health system in
the country, overloading macrocomponents of medium and high levels of complexity in health.