Almost half of Brazilians (49%) think that the public healthcare system will worsen after the exit of the group of Cuban doctors who were part of the Mais Médicos program. The rate is part of a Datafolha survey measuring the impact of the foreign physicians' departure.

According to the poll, 38% of the respondents said that the health services could improve after the Cuban withdrawal, while 8% say things will remain the same. 5% of respondents had no opinion on the matter.

Datafolha heard 2,077 people in 130 Brazilian towns, in a sample that represents the population's demographic profile. The survey's margin of error is of two percentage points up or down. The interviews were conducted on December 18th and 19th, a month later after Cuba announced it was withdrawing its participation on Mais Médicos.

The pessimistic outlook is more common among younger people and those who live in the Northeastern states, which held the more significant proportion of Cuban doctors. In that particular group, the rate of people who think healthcare will decline is 56%, against 33% who believe it will become better.

Four of ten respondents say that either himself or herself or a close relative had received care from a foreign physician from the Mais Médicos program.

^{Translated by NATASHA MADOV}
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