The 1st National Free Conference on Health with the Homeless Population (CLNSPopRua) will debate, this Friday (12th), in the city of São Paulo, the guidelines for health policies aimed at this group, which will be taken to the 17th National Conference on Health.
Throughout the day, people with a background in homelessness, popular movements and professionals who work with this population participate in the event in person and remotely, which allows the participation of representatives from all over the country.
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Member of the National Movement of the Homeless Population (MNPR) Vanilson Torres, who is currently one of the advisors at the National Health Council, said that the conference intends to take the guidelines of the homeless population related to health into the proposals of the National Conference of health.
“In the first access of this population to the health service, they are immediately prejudiced, they are received with discrimination and, due to their way of life, their clothes, their odor, many times they are nothing more than the security guard, the guard at the UBS post or other health service. And then who will go back to the place where they are mistreated?”, said Torres, adding that it is necessary to know the specificities of this group for health care.
He points out that the homeless population suffers from stereotypes, such as those related to drugs and accusations that they are “vagabonds”, but that the conditions that lead people to the streets are more complex. “We have a pandemic that is showing this. We have the Constitution Amendment 95 (spending cap), which does not generate investments, we have the labor and social security deformities – which were not reforms – and the historical setbacks we are experiencing, which take entire families or individuals to the streets every day”.
“From the access to be attended by Samu to the issue of housing, all public policies are related to the homeless population. There is no health without housing, there is no health without the basic guarantee of our lives and having a roof over our heads”, he said.
“And then I ask: what is it like to be healthy, what is it like to have a guarantee of health sleeping on a cardboard in a marquee? What is it like to have a guarantee of health without having drinking water, without having food, without food security? To take even strong medicines, as is for tuberculosis. How are you going to be healthy with a cobblestone as a pillow?”, he asked.
The discussions and productions of the working groups take place around four axes: The Brazil we have. The Brazil we want; The role of social control and social movements in saving lives; Guarantee rights and defend SUS, life and democracy; and Tomorrow will be another day for all people. All the work this Friday will result in a final report with the approved proposals that will be taken to the National Health Conference by delegates elected in plenary.
Also a member of the MNPR, Pedro Luiz da Silva, who was homeless for about 20 years, considers that it is important for the homeless population to contribute to the construction of policy proposals, because they feel it firsthand. “It’s great (to take proposals to the national conference), now we have the chance to sit at a table to discuss our proposals”.
It has a proposal to facilitate and speed up the assistance of people on the streets. “I personally would like ambulances that help vulnerable people to have biometrics, because when firefighters go to help someone or ambulances they want documents, they take time, they want to identify the person. I think that, with biometrics, you will know where the person comes from, if they took any medication, to be faster. Because I see the delay in the center of São Paulo, which is the help of a vulnerable person”.
Social worker José Carlos Varella Junior, who has been working with homeless people for 30 years, said that the conference aims to “make society stop to think that homeless people are also citizens. The movements are movements to promote citizenship, promote street discussion agendas and bring protagonism to the highest instances of deliberation discussion, which are councils and conferences.”
Among the specific demands for this group, he cites the need to improve SUS funding for equipment that care for this population, to promote humanized care and to recognize the homeless population as subjects of rights.
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