Increasing healthcare access and changing the model: an experience with the More Doctors Program

In order to meet demands from the population and from mayors that access to primary care be increased, the Federal Government launched the More Doctors Program in 2013. Among other structuring objectives, this program promoted emergency provision of physicians. By presenting the experience of a municipality for which this demand was met, this paper discusses the sustainability of increases in primary care coverage and the assignment of physicians to these services, and the potential of the program to introduce changes in the healthcare model, and the factors usually associated with the recruitment and settlement of health professionals.

Primary health care; Family health; Public health policies; Government programs