Making the invisible visible

Abstract

This research analyzes the experiences of working in public health at the primary care level during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. With a qualitative and situated approach, in-depth interviews were collected and analyzed by public health workers between September and November, 2020. The results show the differentiation of two main dimensions: on the one hand, the structural work characterization, where feminization of health-related work, normalized situations of discomfort, a common basis of job insecurity, inequality in the distribution of resources, and low coordination of stats and objectives are visible. On the other hand, the dimensions of emerging work and care strategies and the need to problematize the work situation in order to collectively generate better working and care conditions, due to the prevalence of predominantly biomedical approaches that are insufficient. Based on these findings, the objective is to contrast the relationship between public policies and situated experiences, expanding conceptual notions around the public health care processes and their challenges, though the voice of its actors.