Expenditures on compulsory hospitalizations due to drug use in the state of Espírito Santo

Abstract

Compulsory hospitalisation for drug use has been questioned in the field of Mental Health Policy and expresses the struggle between the principles of SUS/Psychiatric Reform and the private interests of the commercialisation of mental health. The article analyses spending on compulsory hospitalisations for drug-use enforced by the Health Department of Espírito Santo between 2014 and 2019, and seeks to identify their destination. It presents brief reflections on the right to health and the disputes over the available public funds. This is documentary research with data gathered from the ES Transparency Portal. Descriptive statistical analysis and categoric content analysis were employed. The data shows that there are disputes over public funds and that these are not evident to socie ty. The struggles between the Executive and the Judiciary around the right of access to health treatment are something that needs to be questioned.