SUS on the highways: truck drivers receive free medical care on the roads

Many people end up leaving their health aside due to long hours, a very busy routine and lack of time. This is the case for many professional drivers who spend much of their lives on the roads and end up neglecting self-care. For this reason, the Ministry of Health created the program Now There Are Specialists – Truck Driver and Truck Driver, an initiative that takes consultations, exams, vaccination and other services of the Unified Health System (SUS) to these drivers.

The main objective is to reduce the difficulty of access to health and promote free care directly at the Stop and Rest Points (PPDs) used by the category during trips. The urgency of the measure is based on data from the Ministry of Health, since between the years 2022 and 2025, 41% of truck drivers registered in Primary Health Care (PHC) did not receive any type of medical care.

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Free, unscheduled service on the roads

The program’s mobile units offer completely free assistance and do not require prior scheduling. The structure was designed to integrate in a practical way into the daily lives of drivers, offering the following services:

Medical and nursing consultations;

• Vaccination and blood pressure measurement;
• Rapid tests and laboratory exams with immediate results;
• Electrocardiogram and minor procedures;
• Referral to other specialized SUS services, if necessary.

For José Ronaldo Marques da Silva, known as “Boizinho” and president of the National Union of Storks (Sinaceg) – an entity that brings together more than 5 thousand professionals in the transport of brand new vehicles – the strategy is fundamental.

“Health almost always ends up being left for later when the driver is meeting deadlines and crossing the country. Therefore, taking care to PPDs is a smart measure. It adapts the public service to the reality of the category and facilitates the monitoring of many professionals who, until then, were unable to access this type of service”, says the president of Sinaceg.

Chronic diseases and aging in the category are real

Neglect of one’s own health has taken its toll on truck drivers. An epidemiological bulletin from the Ministry of Health revealed that factors such as irregular diet, long hours behind the wheel and lack of adequate rest drastically increase the vulnerability of drivers to chronic diseases.

The survey of care provided by Primary Care points to the following main occurrences:

• Arterial hypertension: 74,414 registered cases;
• Diabetes: 35,292 records;
• Mental health: 21,167 occurrences.

The data also show an aging trend of the category on the roads. The largest share of services was concentrated in the age group of 50 to 59 years, closely followed by drivers between 40 and 49 years old.

More than 6 thousand consultations in just four months

Despite the short execution time — just over four months — the program already has expressive numbers that prove the high pent-up demand on the highways:

• 6,169 services performed;
• 8,889 health procedures;
• 7,087 rapid tests applied;
• 2,617 tests collected;
• 933 doses of vaccines administered.

Márcio Galdino, regional director of Sinaceg, points out that the impact of the action goes beyond the individual well-being of the driver. “The truck driver already uses the stopping points to rest during the trips. Transforming these places into care spaces is a practical solution, which expands access to the SUS and encourages preventive care. It is an initiative that can bring benefits both to the health of workers and to safety on the highways”, points out Galdino.

Where to find SUS mobile units

Currently, the program operates at strategic points and close to the usual resting places of truck drivers. The units are in operation in the following cities:

• Pindamonhangaba (SP)
• Uruaçu (GO)
• Ubaporanga (MG)
• Itatiaia (RJ)
• Novo Progresso (PA)
• Seropédica (RJ)
• Palhoça (SC)
• Irati (PR)

The service remains available indefinitely at these points, and the driver only needs to attend the location during his regular travel stop.