Working Conditions of Health Technicians in Ceará’s Public Health System

The study aims to analyze the working conditions of health professionals of Basic Health Units (BHU) of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. BHUs are primary health care units that are the front door of the national public health system. The research analyzes working conditions of primary care auxiliary and/or technicians and their perceptions regarding working conditions and harassment. It is a cross-sectional survey of exploratory nature, using quantitative and qualitative methods. 120 mid-educational level background workers answered a questionnaire containing socio-economic information; an occupational stressors scale and the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ). Nine technicians and auxiliaries participated in individual interviews. Observations of workplaces were also done. 2.5% of participants declared to have suffered workplace harassment. However, 11.7% reported negative acts towards them, weekly or daily in the last six months. The participants perceive their working conditions as precarious. They report employment instability, lack of equipment, low salaries, and long working journeys. They appear to worry about exercising their activities with prejudice to the services’ quality and to their health. The study points to the need for actions that bring egalitarian conditions in terms of employment to this category of workers, better working conditions, and financial and social recognition.