The annual investment in health in the state of São Paulo – including construction projects, purchase of equipment and improvements, but not fixed expenses such as salaries and costs – fell 23% in the first two years of the João Doria (PSDB) administration. This is compared to the average of 2011 to 2018, under Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB) and Márcio França (PSB).
In 2021, even if the administration invests the entire amount foreseen in the budget for this (R$ 1.175 billion), the average investment will be lower than in previous years. The trend, however, is that that won’t even happen, as the São Paulo government has used 31% of this amount as of September 13th.
The Doria administration claims that since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, in March 2020, it has increased spending on items such as temporary beds, which do not feature investment but bring long-term benefits to the population. The reduction in 2019 was attributed to an adjustment in the accounts.
In Doria's first year, overall health expenditures also declined. Last year, the budget foresaw an amount lower than what had been spent so far, but the coronavirus ended up raising expenses in the area to R$ 28.7 billion, the highest at least since 2011.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon