The shortage of nurses is a concern in most countries around the world. The problem has only been exacerbated by the corona pandemic, which according to International Council of Nurses, has led to stress and burnout. But the salary also plays a significant role in retaining them 700,000 the nurses in the public and private hospitals in Brazil.
Therefore, President Lula da Silva has now released 7.3 billion Brazilian reals to introduce a higher minimum wage for nurses and hospital staff in the country. This corresponds to 10.3 billion Danish kroner.
– The establishment of the minimum wage is a fair and deserved achievement for these workers, who are essential to the Brazilian healthcare system. They provide services of the highest societal importance by taking care of Brazilian men’s and women’s health, writes the Brazilian Ministry of Health in a written response to Verdens Beste Nyheter.
This means that a nurse in Brazil must have at least 4,740 reais a month, which corresponds to 6,700 Danish kroner. Before the new law was the starting salary for a nurse 3,250 reais, which corresponds to just under 5,000 Danish kroner.
The law also covers nursing technicians, nursing assistants and midwives, who have a slightly lower minimum wage. In general, the new law applies to 2.8 million people within the nursing profession.
Opiso da enfermagem é uma das cobranças que mais ouvi desde a campanha. Hoje pude signs a project that rents R$ 7.3 billion for o @minsaudepara incluirmos no budgeto da pasta o pagamento do piso da categoria, valorizando a enfermagem.
📸: @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/PRwp0Wn2uM
— Lula (@LulaOfficial) April 18, 2023
Corona hysteria
Just like here at home, the corona pandemic took a toll on the healthcare system in Brazil. In fact, it is one of the countries in the world that was hardest hit. More than 700,000 died as a result of corona.
Brazil was hit hard both because many people brought the infection to the country after holidays in Italy, but also because the government at the time was against vaccines. In 2020, then-President Jair Bolsonaro sent Brazilians back to work and called the coronavirus hysteria.
– On the whole, the government was extremely reluctant to acknowledge that the corona even existed, says Marie Kolling, who is a senior researcher for sustainable development and government management with a focus on Brazil at the Institute for International Studies in Copenhagen.
And it took a toll on the country’s nurses. In 2021 reported 49 percent of nurses in Brazil that they had anxiety and 25 percent felt depressed.
– The incredibly poor handling of the corona has also to that extent contributed to worsening the situation, and it must have been extra tough for an already pressured healthcare system, says Marie Kolling.
Along the way for quite a while
Brazilian unions have i for years fought for better pay conditions, and most recently protested in February. Because the bill was written back in 2009, but has only now been implemented. In fact, it was signed by former President Bolsonaro in August 2022but because the calculations for the financing were uncertain, the proposal was suspended by the country’s highest court.
At the end of April, the bill was finally approved in Congress and signed by President Lula da Silva.
– The Ministry of Health considers that the implementation of the minimum wage will be carried out in the coming weeks, they write in a written response to Verdens Beste Nyheder.
