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Rev A ssoc M ed B ras 2014; 60(4):283 283
Editorial
Rendering of accounts
Prestando contas
It is with great satisfaction that we speak to everyone, to account
for our mandate (2011-2014) ahead of the Brazilian Medical As-
sociation (AMB), a leading and thriving entity that fights bra-
vely for the causes of health and medicine in Brazil.
We began our management putting things in the right pla-
ce, from a managerial and administrative standpoint. We orga-
nized processes, flows, responsibilities and values​, after receiving
the report of a consulting firm ( Ernst & Young, hired for this pur-
pose). Getting started was not easy because the problems inclu-
ded a financial deficit that hindered the implementation of se-
veral activities. We adopted the motto “only spend what you have,
and the resources of the institution belong to the AMB.”
We launched, together with the Brazilian Bar Association
(OAB) and the National Medicine Academy, a successful project
leading to a Bill called More Health (or Health +10), aiming at im-
proving public health funding, forcing the federal government to
allocate 10% of its gross current revenue (equivalent to approxi-
mately 18% of net current revenues) to the sector. The project was
successful because, jointly with many other prominent medical
organizations and agencies from other sectors, such as the Natio-
nal Conference of Catholic Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), we mana-
ged to gather over 2.5 million signatures to pass the bill (the mi-
nimum required was about 1.4 million). The state of Minas Gerais
gave a great example, getting over 700 thousand signatures, and
we also emphasize the commitment of the Legislative Assembly
and the Medical Association of Minas Gerais. We visited many sta-
tes (Pará, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janei-
ro, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, etc.). And even with
that number of signatures, the project “sleeps” in the national con-
gress, because the “powerful hand of the government” is not inte-
rested in securing health financing. In recent years, the federal go-
vernment has invested a smaller proportion of funds compared
to the resources provided by states and municipalities.
We focus on an increasingly closer relationship with federated
associations and specialty societies, notably for the stubborn defen-
se of quality medical education, either at undergraduate or postgra-
duate level. We strengthened our title of specialist, which has quality,
and we do not turn a blind eye to the political and electoral follies of
quantity superseding quality. We advocate an adequate number of
physicians according to our demand, distributed in different regions,
states and cities in the country, based on the need of specialists ac-
cording to technical and epidemiological criteria. Never training wi-
thout quality. Furthermore, we preach exhaustively that health is
achieved not only with doctors. Medical residency is our flag, along
with the specialty societies. There is harmony among themedical so-
cieties and the struggle for quality inmedical education prevails.
We sat downwith everyone who came to us and is involvedwith
health andmedicine: governments, health care providers, institutions,
manufacturers, businesses, etc. Wherever there is a doctor, so will we
be, know, share, help, discuss and seek ways and improvement.
We embrace the continuing medical education in a great
effort to show how important it is to have qualified and up to
date doctors, because knowledge changes very fast and deals with
our greatest asset: health. The Guidelines Project was maintai-
ned, with new guidance, as well as updating of the existing in-
formation. We expanded our participation in discussions with
the government, with the society, the press and the World Me-
dical Association (WMA).
We closed ranks to provide quality access to our population.
We want high quality medical education, with goodmedical schools
(appropriate curriculum, faculty and physical structure), and we
want to advance in clinical research, because in our country, which
is the seventh largest economy in the world, we are delayed due to
bureaucracy, to excessive interference and rework that cause us to
be always behind the developed world, especially in phase I and II
trials. The AMB joined a valuable group called Aliança Pesquisa Clí-
nica Brasil to change this scenario that shames us all and slows us
down: Brazil, our health professionals, and our patients, because
many of themmiss opportunities for treatment.
We made it possible for the population to show the reality of
health in Brazil, through the caixapretadasaude.org.br website, a very
successful channel. The chaotic situation experienced bymany, espe-
cially those who rely solely on public health system (SUS), is noto-
rious. Using the portal, the population itself reports and denounces.
These are some examples of what was and has been done, re-
cognizing that there is much more to be achieved and we need
to always seek and accomplish more and better, committing our-
selves and recognizing that everything is the result of a valued
work of a team that composes the AMB: officers, directors, dele-
gates, members of technical councils, commissions, AMB-fede-
rated and regional organizations, the specialty societies, our em-
ployees, and many other associates.
Much has been done, continuing the work of previous boards,
and always wishing that those who come after us will do evenmore
because we need strong institutions. We will pass, but our institu-
tions remain and need to be stronger and stronger, so that our fu-
ture is in fact auspicious. Let us not bow or weaken before difficul-
ties and threats. When the collective is seen as a priority, each of us,
individually, win. Any disputes for positions in our institutions are
legitimate and should occur at the highest level. But after the elec-
tion, we should all unite and embrace our causes: the causes of health.
Let us move on, because future generations await!
Florentino Cardoso
President of the AMB
SCIELO.indb 283 8/1/14 2:28 PM