Potencialidades e desafios de uma equipe no cuidado à população em situação de rua

Abstract

Health care for homeless people (PSR - Pessoas em Situação de Rua) represents a challenge for public health. These are individuals who experience the absence of basic rights such as food, health, housing, leisure, and work, and who are inserted into complex contexts marked by multiple vulnerabilities. After the pandemic, the number of homeless people increased in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. It is a fact that Primary Health Care, which serves as the gateway to other services in the system, is essential in providing care to these users. The care provided by the Family Health team must be responsible for the people assigned to their territory, including those living on the streets.The objective of this study was to analyze the role of the Primary Health Care team in caring for homeless individuals at a Basic Health Unit in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. This is a qualitative and exploratory study, developed from the perspective of Action Research. Data collection was carried out through a focus group. The study participants were workers from the Carlos Chagas Health Center, located in the South-Central Region of the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.After applying content analysis techniques, seven categories of results were established: the history of the Carlos Chagas Health Center as a reference and the decentralization of care for homeless individuals; professionals' perceptions regarding homeless individuals; professionals’ perceptions of health demands among the homeless population; the challenges faced by the team in providing care to homeless individuals; networked care and the need for staff training; substance abuse and the sale of medication by homeless individuals; and violence in the daily lives of health workers.Despite the multiple vulnerabilities and numerous challenges faced, primary health care remains an essential space for promoting comprehensive care, establishing itself as a fundamental strategy in addressing the needs of the homeless population.