Regionalization of health and the Government Triangle: reflections from the perspective of municipal health managers

Abstract

This article analyzes the perception of municipal health managers about the process of regionalization of health in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. It has a qualitative nature, employing semi-structured interviews with eight municipal health managers, chosen intentionally. In the theoretical approach, the concept of Government Triangle was used, matching it with the categories of thematic analysis. In the government project on the regionalization of health, the means and objectives identified were the Pact for Health, financing, solidarity, access, health consortia, models of supply and contracting of health actions and services. In the capacity of government in the Health Care Networks and the instances of agreement, the ways of conducting, maneuvering and overcoming that emerged from the analysis were the Regional Intermanagers Commission, the decentralization of health services and intersectoriality. As for management and health governance, the interviewees identified the manager not having time and/or not prioritizing the planning and management processes, managers as political figures and without preparation, the technical staff without specific training, the care gaps and the fixation of professionals. The results of this study point to clues about possible paths to be followed in the theme of health management and regionalization.