Rio De Janeiro - XINHUA
Brazil's healthcare systems, both public and private, is a source of deep dissatisfaction, according to a poll released on Tuesday.
The poll, commissioned by the Federal Medical Council (CFM), showed 93 percent of those surveyed rated the country's public and private healthcare systems as very bad or just so-so.
The public healthcare system was deemed unsatisfactory by around 80 percent of respondents, with the most frequent complaints being lengthy waiting times and difficult access to complex procedures such as dialysis, chemotherapy and surgeries.
Some 29 percent of respondents said they had been waiting more than six months for medical treatment or service.
Brazil's public healthcare system is completely free of charge and covers such treatments as chemotherapy, transplants and robotic surgery.
However, the system is widely regarded as inefficient and insufficient for the size of the population. Problems such as shortages of drugs and medical supplies, or months-long waits for treatment are frequently highlighted by the media.
In response to the anti-government protests against poor public services last year, President Dilma Rousseff moved to counter the shortage of qualified medical professionals by hiring foreign doctors, mostly from Cuba.
The poll, carried out on June 3-10, surveyed 2,418 Brazilians across the country, and has a two-point margin of error.