Nuclear Medicine in Brazilian Health System

Abstract

Nuclear Medicine is crucial for the care of patients with diseases, especially oncological and cardiovascular ones. However, access to it is unequal due to the lack of equipment and producing and supplying units of inputs. Current legislation does not adequately address these aspects, and the dominance of foreign capital is a concern, as it can lead to the scrapping of the current system. National production of radiopharmaceuticals has suffered numerous setbacks, such as budget cuts, indiscriminate market opening, and delays in completing the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor project. Public data from 2015 to 2021 were analyzed to evaluate access to Nuclear Medicine by the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), including the number of facilities, procedures, tariffs, and trade balance. Although Brazil has many Nuclear Medicine facilities, its geographic distribution is extremely uneven. Factors such as equipment acquisition and maintenance costs and lack of qualified personnel are real obstacles to the expansion of Nuclear Medicine in Brazil. The country is financially dependent on foreign capital for this area, which limits its expansion according to SUS guidelines. Social and economic policies are necessary to minimize SUS technological vulnerabilities, promote system sustainability, and ensure universal and equitable access to specialized healthcare services.