Primary Health Care in a region of the Colombian Amazon: an approach to everyday life

ABSTRACT

In 2016, the implementation of a new health model focused on primary health care began in Colombia, being Guainía, in the Colombian Amazon, the first region to start the pilot test. The objective of this study was to understand the daily implementation of primary care, within the framework of the Comprehensive Health Care Model, from the perspective of indigenous people and health professionals, in Guainía, Colombia This is a single case study with a qualitative approach, based on the comprehensive sociology of everyday life. The data, collected through direct observation and semi-structured interviews with 26 health professionals and 22 indigenous users, were subjected to thematic content analysis. Five categories emerged: ‘living at the post’, ‘solving alone’, ‘the challenge of territorial coverage’, ‘health commissions: filling gaps’ and ‘support from local leaders’. Despite of the restructuring proposal brought by the new model, the persistence of a care approach based on curativist logic in the provision of services was evidenced in daily life. Although the attributes of primary care are compromised, daily actions that can favor comprehensive care and contribute to a successful transition were identified.

KEYWORDS
Primary Health Care; Health of indigenous peoples; Remote areas; Healthcare models; Colombia