The Municipal Secretary of Health, Marcos Ramos Carvalho, shared, on December 26, information on the public health system and, more specifically, on mental health in Canada, with the coordinators and managers of the Municipal Health Secretariat ( SMS). Marcos Ramos reported on his experiences as a member of the Brazilian delegation during a public visit to the Canadian Center for Mental Health, in Toronto, Canada.

The meeting between the secretary and those responsible for the SMS took place in the auditorium of the Coordination of Permanent Health Education (COEPS), located at Rua F-10, in the Orlando Dantas complex.

“This is our last major meeting at the turn of 2007. Next year, we will be closer and closer to integrating our actions and strengthening the municipal health system. We will be together to resolve the difficulties and join forces to solve problems,” said Marcos Ramos.

In his explanation, Marcos Ramos summarized the trip and presented information, data, photos and documents about the trip to Canada, carried out between November 26 and 30.

The secretary reported on the traditions, experiences and projects maintained by the service of promotion, prevention and protection of mental health and primary care in the provinces of Canada. The Brazilian delegation, in addition to Marcos Ramos, included the Secretary of State for Health, Rogério Carvalho, and officials from the states of Ceará and Rio de Janeiro.

While the visit aimed at an exchange of public policies focused on mental health, at the Canadian Center for Mental Health, Marcos Ramos recalled the presentation he made in Toronto on the experience of the Psychosocial Assistance Network developed by the municipality of Aracaju.

Marcos Ramos also showed municipal health managers photos of the Ministry of Health headquarters, the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, the Toronto Network University Hospital, the Health Promotion Centre, the Association of Ontario’s doctors and nurses. The secretary also cited the meeting he had with mental health professionals and the visit he made to Vancouver and Victoria.

“Canada is a leading country in the world and it is quite advanced in terms of public health. But globalization shows us that the world is small and certain actions that are developed there, we have also developed here,” underlined Marcos Branches.

The secretary recalled that in Toronto he distributed and presented to Canadian leaders promotional materials on the culture and tourism potential of the capital of Sergipe and the state of Sergipe.