Multiple job contracts of physicians in Ceará, Northeastern Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the multiple job contracts of physicians in the Brazilian National Health System in the State of Ceará.


METHODS
Documental research was performed about the work contracts of the physicians, based on data of health professional contracts in the municipalities of Ceará state, Northeastern Brazil, in 2008. Indices were created for the quantity of contracts of each physician, as well as the municipalities where each physician maintained work contracts. The distances between the municipalities where they worked was calculated in order to estimate the total weekly hours of work.


RESULTS
Of the 7,008 physicians employed by the Ceará state, 3,751 (53.5%) maintain between two and four job contracts and 39 (0.6%) between 11 and 20 contracts. One professional maintained 20 contracts. More than half (51.9%) of the physicians had work contracts that when summed totaled more than 40 weekly working hours and 27.0% (1,894) maintained job contracts with more than one municipality.


CONCLUSIONS
In order to increase their work income, physicians undertake various jobs, practicing their profession in different locations and various municipalities, involving constant travel and contributing to the precarious conditions of their own lives and, therefore, of the public health system.
Maciel
Regina Heloisa
RH
Centro de Ciências Humanas, Universidade de Fortaleza, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil. reginaheloisamaciel@gmail.com
Santos
João Bosco Feitosa dos
JB
Sales
Telma Bessa
TB
Alves
Marco Aurélio de Andrade
MA
Luna
Ana Paula
AP
Feitosa
Leonardo Bezerra
LB
D001938:Brazil; D032982:Contracts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008503:Medical Staff / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017149:Private Sector; D017150:Public Sector; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017132:Workplace