-
Brazilian Constitution (Sistema Único de Saúde) was Created
The Brazilian Constitution states that free, public healthcare will be provided to every Brazilian citizen. Although this clause was a huge step in improving Brazil's healthcare, it had many flaws. Some considered it "a safety net with holes." For example, some of these flaws included only two hospital beds for every 1000 citizens, and so few X Ray machines that it could take months to get one. Most of Brazil's population relies on this healthcare, so the flaws in the system are significant. -
Brazil Partially Transfers Healthcare Financing to States
Legislation partially transferred the responsibility of funding healthcare to each Brazilian state. The states were required to pay at lease 12% of the total budget on health. The states paying money to support the healthcare system was another attempt to improve the system, but it still wasn't enough to create a solid healthcare system. -
Knee Alignment Study
151 people living in Brazil were examined for ACL injuries and other knee alignment deformities using the International Knee Documentation Committee method. The study showed that 14% of the males presented untreated ACL injures, and so did 3% of the females. 88% of the subjects in the study presented some kind of varus knee alignment. These unknown injuries or alignment problems are due to the high prevalence of soccer, and the poor healthcare in Brazil. -
National Health Service Act
The National Health Service Act (NHS), allows foreign investments in the brazilian healthcare system, as an attempt to improve it. Prior to the Act, foreign capital investments were limited by federal constitution because healthcare was considered to be a “national strategic sector,” meaning that it was off limits to foreign investors. The NHS allows participation of foreign money directly or indirectly in brazilian companies that are related to health care or hospitals in any way. -
Brazilian Congress Conducts Study: Private v.s Public Healthcare
Brazilian Congress of Orthopedics conducts a study to determine the difference between public and private healthcare in Brazil. Surgeons from all over brazil were asked questions about their surgical practices. One question was specific to ACL tears, and doctors agreed that ACL surgery should be done within four weeks of the tear. In the public system, only 5.4% of the surgeries are done within this time frame but in the private system, 26.5% were, showing its superiority over the public system.
