Percepção de profissionais das unidades básicas de saúde no contexto do trabalho na pandemia da COVID-19

Abstract

The covid-19 pandemic imposed unprecedented challenges on health systems, especially in Primary Health Care (PHC), highlighting the need to reorganize work processes. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze, from the perspective of PHC professionals, the changes that occurred in work processes during the pandemic, considering the intersections of gender and class, the challenges faced in vaccination, and the perspectives of health professionals on the responses produced by PHC in the context of the health emergency. This is an evaluative study with a qualitative approach, conducted in six Basic Health Units (BHUs) located in different districts of São Luís, Maranhão, selected to ensure diversity in the results. Participants were professionals from Family Health Strategy teams who were active during the waves of the pandemic. Data collection was carried out at a single time in each BHU using the Focus Group technique, with discussions recorded, transcribed, and analyzed as narratives using Bardin’s content analysis technique. The analysis resulted in three scientific articles: the first, “Intersections in Primary Health Care during the covid-19 pandemic: work, gender, and class”, which highlighted how structural inequalities influenced professionals' work experiences; the second, “covid-19 vaccination: challenges and perceptions of Primary Health Care professionals”, which discussed difficulties and strategies in the vaccination process; and the third, “The reinvention of care in Primary Health Care: impacts and responses to the covid-19 pandemic”, which analyzed the experiences of PHC workers during the covid-19 pandemic. It is concluded that the covid-19 pandemic deeply impacted work processes in Primary Health Care, revealing structural inequalities shaped by gender and class, challenging the implementation of vaccination, and demanding the daily reinvention of care in highly vulnerable contexts. The analyses point to PHC as a strategic space for more equitable and effective responses in future health emergencies.