The Senate approved today (10) the project that creates a program to monitor patients with breast cancer, to provide guidance and make diagnosis and treatment more agile. The project to create the National Patient Navigation Program for People with Malignant Breast Neoplasm returns to the Chamber of Deputies for a new analysis, as it was modified by the senators.
The text establishes the creation of the program within the scope of the Unified Health System (SUS) and integrated into the National Policy for Oncological Care, with measures of agility in the care, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. According to the project, the diagnosis should be made possible in less than 30 days. Once diagnosed, the patient must have treatment started within 60 days.
Navigation is the monitoring of suspected or confirmed cases of the disease with an individual approach and guidance to each patient. According to the report, browsers act as a bridge between the patient, the healthcare facility and community resources.
“We are in favor of the legislative initiative and we hope that it will be transformed into law to benefit people with breast cancer who depend on the SUS. These people need to face the numerous barriers that usually prevent them from exercising their right to health, guaranteed by the Federal Constitution itself, especially in the case of patients belonging to the most vulnerable strata of the Brazilian population”, says the report.
The project, which came from the Chamber, underwent changes and will return to that House for further analysis. One of the amendments included in the text the determination that the health team maintain contact with the patient by phone and by e-mail, in addition to guaranteeing him the right to get in touch whenever he needs to clarify his doubts during the treatment. The other amendment determines that the program must be integrated into the National Health Care Policy for Indigenous Peoples.
The project’s approval took place on the day reserved for voting on proposals aimed at women’s interests and rights. Today was chosen to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the Maria da Penha Law, completed on August 7th.
* With information from the Senate Agency
