title: [Politics and social medicine in Chile: narratives concerning a difficult relationship].
abstract: The article examines the conditions in Chile that fostered development of a social medicine doctrine defended by the left. This doctrine influenced the legal, institutional, and technical construction of the Servico Nacional de Saude (SNS) in 1952. Central to the workings of the democratic regime (up until 1973) and to the free and open public discussion of national projects of a socializing nature was a party system that encompassed the entire ideological spectrum. The pioneering creation of Workers Social Security in 1924 is underscored. Likewise of import was the emergence of transformational proposals regarding the health-assistance model that is consolidated. Ensuing conflicts were finally overcome following World War II, under the influence of England's National Health Service. Chilean political culture yielded the consolidation of lasting concepts in social medicine but created barriers to the project to build a universalized sanitary-medical system, intended to provide integral care to all citizens.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Administracao e Planejamento em Saude da Escola Nacional de Saude.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Labra
mesh_terms: D002677:Chile; D006291:Health Policy / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D011057:Politics; D012936:Social Medicine / Q000266:history*
vernacular_title: Politica e medicina social no Chile: narrativas sobre uma relacao dificil.