The More Doctors Program: elements of tension between the government and medical associations

In 2013, the first physicians arrived for the More Doctors Program. The process of implementation was engulfed in legal disputes and ideological conflicts sparked by Brazilian physicians and their representative associations. The initiative to create the program was seen by the medical associations as a unilateral measure of the federal government, lacking in planning and designed to win votes. This paper presents the historical process that gave rise to the program, highlighting the tension between the government and medical associations. It is an exploratory study with biographical and documental research. Through analyzing data and national and international trends, as well as statements from physicians and their representative associations, it can be inferred that the program is not understood in its entirety, which goes beyond the immediate provision of physicians. In addition, the regulatory role of the State, in its responsibility to comply with the Federal Constitution, is being misinterpreted as undermining the autonomy of the medical profession.