Primary Health Care in a region of the Colombian Amazon: an approach to everyday life

Abstract

In 2016, the implementation of a new health model focused on primary health care began in Colombia,  being Guainía, in the Colombian Amazon, the first  region to start the pilot test. The objective of this  study was to understand the daily implementation of  primary care, within the framework of the Comprehensive Health Care Model, from the  perspective of indigenous people and health  professionals, in Guainía, Colombia This is a single  case study with a qualitative approach, based on the  comprehensive sociology of everyday life. The data,  collected through direct observation and semi- structured interviews with 26 health professionals and  22 indigenous users, were subjected to thematic  content analysis. Five categories emerged: ‘living at  the post’, ‘solving alone’, ‘the challenge of territorial  coverage’, ‘health commissions: filling gaps’ and  ‘support from local leaders’. Despite of the  restructuring proposal brought by the new model, the persistence of a care approach based on curativist  logic in the provision of services was evidenced in  daily life. Although the attributes of primary care are  compromised, daily actions that can favor  comprehensive care and contribute to a successful  transition were identified.