Pequenas empresas de saúde em salvador: impactos no desenvolvimento econômico local

Abstract

This dissertation has as its objective to research the growth of small businesses in the health industry in Salvador and to identify the main factors that contribute to the expansion and consolidation of the private sector in medical services, within the historical context of health policies implemented by the Brazilian State. It addresses the question of financing for public health policies and the limited resources available to fill public demand via SUS the Universal Health System. It studies the growth of supplementary medical assistance, headed by plans, health insurance programs and self-managed companies, which constitute anchors for the expansion of the private sector. The empirical research reveals the evolution of clinics and clinical analysis laboratories in Salvador between 1990 and 2002. Upon analysis of the location of the companies, disparities are identified between the spatial distribution of private and public services and the distribution of the residing population per Administrative Region. Finally, some important factors are indicated that may explain the inequalities that mark health services within the public and private system.