PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge to the population and health professionals in an attempt to survive and overcome the physical and psychological damage of the disease. In order to understand how the attention of pregnant women occurred in Primary Health Care (PHC) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study was conducted in Anguera, a city in the interior of Bahia, Brazil. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study, data collection was carried out in May 2022 and included semi-structured interviews through the virtual platform Google Meet. Three nurses and one doctor who performed prenatal care at the PHC in the urban area of the municipality studied were interviewed (n=4). The choice for these research participants is justified by representing the professionals responsible for the care of women in the pregnancy-puerperal cycle and, therefore, needed to promote adaptations to ensure the continuity of the program. The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CEP) of the State University of Feira de Santana (UEFS). The interviews were recorded, transcribed and interpreted by the content analysis. The results of the research show that changes in the work processes sought to ensure the continuity of care to pregnant women, including the spacing of consultations and virtual care. Even with these measures, there was a discontinuity of care, resulting from fear for contamination of both professionals and pregnant women. These adaptations of the service and the work process culminated in the overload of nurses and physicians to ensure a healthy pregnancy. It is recommended that municipal managers invest in Permanent Health Education Policies, in order to train professionals in health emergency situations, as well as continued studies regarding the reorganization of PHC based on the pandemic context and quality of health care provided by professionals who provide prenatal care.