Banca de DEFESA: INGRID BEATRIZ DA SILVA

HEALTH OF WORKERS IN THE UNITED HEALTH SYSTEM DURING AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: 

THE PERSPECTIVE OF MANAGEMENT CENTERS

Worker's health; Health Unic System; Pandemic; Covid-19.

The reality of work shows a recent transformation through rapid modernization in the world of work. The pandemic context due to Covid-19, caused by the New Coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2), enhances these changes, directly affecting the work processes in health, and, consequently, the health of the worker. This research has as its general objective "Analyzing Occupational Health in the Unified Health System during and after the Covid-19 pandemic from the perspective of Occupational Health management centers at the municipal and state levels of Rio Grande do Norte." For that, an observational and descriptive study was developed, with a qualitative approach, in the case study type. The study was carried out at the Municipal Health Department of Natal and at the State Department of Public Health of Rio Grande do Norte, both located in the city of Natal, capital of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern Brazil, with the participating subjects being the professionals who make up the management centers in the field of workers' health in both secretariats. The instrument used for data collection was an individual semi-structured interview and the data obtained were analyzed using the Content Analysis technique. The narratives were categorized into six core meanings, which dealt with: 1. The potentialities that emerged from and during the Covid-19 pandemic; 2. Strategies used in workers' health during the Covid-19 health crisis; 3. The challenges experienced in the field of occupational health in the face of the Covid-19 global crisis; 4. Post-pandemic and its consequences, considering the perspective of remote work; 5. The main needs of the worker's health in the north of Rio Grande do Sul; and 6. Worker's health policy(ies). The analysis of the speeches highlighted the use of PPE and its relationship with the Permanent Education processes, as a potentiality and the projects supported by the worker's self-care, as an important strategy. Lack of knowledge regarding Covid-19 was highlighted as a major challenge and the organization and management of telework was highlighted when referring to post-pandemic developments. An emerging need pointed out for the field of Occupational Health in RN is the strengthening of mental health at work. Regarding the Occupational Health Policy, it is highlighted that it is seen as a relevant initiative to guarantee the health of workers, however, there is a perception that the policy is not yet fully implemented in practice, mainly due to bureaucratic and budgetary obstacles. It is noteworthy that the study was carried out at the municipal and state levels and presented converging results. It is hoped that the results of this study will promote an expanded knowledge about the field of Occupational Health, especially in the post-pandemic context.