The first level of health care during covid-19 in Neuquén, Argentina

Abstract

The first level of health care has a particular relevance in the organization of the health system, since the most significant and prevalent needs of the community are met there, where the integral care process begins. The historic Neuquén Health Plan placed the first level of care as a fundamental link in the system. With the outbreak of the pandemic, the functions carried out by workers at this level are reconfigured and resignified. In this article, we describe the role of the first level during the first wave of the pandemic in the Metropolitan Health Zone of the province. Online surveys were conducted to health center workers about the actions developed and their perceptions and feelings in relation to them. The results reveal: little protagonism of work in the territory, problems in institutional communication processes, an individualistic bias in the proposed actions, precarious working conditions as well as feelings of anguish and fear. The first level of care during the first wave of the pandemic was far away from the principles of the Neuquén Health Plan.