Presidential candidate Ronaldo Caiado of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) proposed changes Tuesday to reduce Brazil’s long waiting lists for elective surgeries. His plan would prioritize patients according to the severity of their medical condition rather than simply by the order in which they entered the queue.
Caiado presented the proposal, called Agiliza SUS, during a visit to São Paulo’s Santa Casa de Misericórdia hospital. SUS is Brazil’s Unified Health System, the public healthcare network that provides services across the country.
The proposal would establish national criteria for clinical priority. It would also create mechanisms for patients to track their position in the queue and the expected deadline for treatment, according to CNN Brasil’s single-source reporting.
Integrating Health Networks
Caiado, who is a physician, also defended closer integration between Brazil’s public and private healthcare networks. The goal, he said, would be to expand the system’s capacity to provide care and help reduce the backlog of non-emergency procedures.
The plan does not specify in the source material how the government would calculate the additional capacity or how private providers would be compensated for participating. Caiado said healthcare would be a priority in a potential administration and that his government would not impose budget contingencies on the sector. The commitment is also included in his campaign platform.
A clinical-priority model would change how patients are ranked for procedures that can be scheduled in advance. Under the proposal, a patient with a more serious condition could move ahead of someone who had been waiting longer, although the source does not detail the medical criteria or the agency responsible for applying them.
Digital and Industrial Measures
Caiado’s broader healthcare platform includes an integrated electronic medical-record system. The proposal also calls for expanded use of telemedicine, which could allow patients to receive consultations and follow-up care without traveling to a hospital in every case.
The candidate further supports increasing domestic production of medicines and medical supplies. The stated objective is to reduce Brazil’s dependence on foreign markets for products used by its healthcare system.
The source does not provide a projected budget, implementation timetable or estimate of how many patients would benefit from the Agiliza SUS plan. It also does not include reactions from competing presidential campaigns, healthcare administrators or patient groups. The available details therefore describe Caiado’s campaign proposal, rather than an independently assessed plan for reducing surgical waiting times.