EVALUATION OF THE PRIMARY CARE IN A POOR COMMUNITY, FOCUSIN ON THE AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH SERVICES, FORTALEZA, CEARÁ, BRASIL

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: In agreement with the Brazilian Constitution of 1988, “health is everyone’s right and a governmental obligation” and, in agreement with the Alma-Ata Declaration, Primary Care is the gateway to the Health System, therefore it is mandatory that this service is available and suitable for use when necessary. This study aims to assess, under users’ point of view, the Primary Care in a poor community, reviewing the availability of health services. METHOD: Quantitative, descriptive and transversal study, interviewing residents over 18 years old in a poor community in Ceará, Brazil, from August to October 2013. It was used an adaptation of the questionnaire Manual for Primary Care Assessment tool – PCA tool Brazil, 2010. The data were compiled and analysed using the Epiinfo program for Windows version 3.5.4. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: 177 persons were interviewed, 31 men and 146 women. Among them, 66,3% state that the dental examination, for example, is available. 42,9% state that nutrition is an available service. Among the women, 88,8% state that the prenatal testing is provided in the Basic Health Unit (BHU); 1,1% state it to be likely to be done in the BHU; 7,3% don’t know; and 2,8% admit the unavailability of the service. It can be concluded that some essential health services in the community are fairly provided in the Basic Health Unit, but others, equally important, are partially neglected.