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 About 750,000 cases of the mosquito-borne virus have been confirmed
this year in this country of 200 million people, leading to waits of
four hours or longer at some hospitals.
The disease, which causes fever and joint pain, has killed 229
people so far this year - up 45 percent from the same period in
2014.
Health Minister Arthur Chioro has blamed the outbreak in part on a
severe drought in Brazil's southeast, an area including Sao Paulo
where dengue has been most prevalent. Many people stored water in
buckets for fear their taps would run dry, creating a perfect
breeding ground for mosquitoes.
However, many point their finger back at the government.
Brazil promises universal healthcare in its constitution, but the
system is underfunded and poorly managed, critics say. While
Rousseff's government budgeted 10.1 million reais ($3.3 million) in
2014 to explore new ways to combat dengue, it only spent about 60
percent of that due to a lack of viable projects, among other
reasons, the health ministry said.
This month, opposition party leaders of a Senate committee summoned
Chioro to testify why the funds weren't spent.
In recent polls, Brazilians have identified healthcare as the
country's biggest problem - even at a time when the economy is
probably in recession and Rousseff faces a huge corruption scandal
at state-run oil company Petrobras.
People with dengue symptoms waiting at a clinic in São Paulo this
week argued the problems were connected.
"If this government stole less, I would have seen a doctor by now,"
said Raimunda da Costa, 52, prompting a chorus of agreement from a
dozen others languishing in line.
In truth, the $1 billion or so that prosecutors believe was
misappropriated in the Petrobras scandal over a decade is dwarfed by
the $33 billion the health ministry spent last year.
The federal government also shares responsibility for the public
healthcare system with state and city governments.
Nevertheless, anger over poor public services has been a "central
cause" of Rousseff's low approval rating of about 19 percent, as
well as anti-government street protests that have flared in the last
two years, said Marcus Melo, a political analyst.
Brazilians pay some of Latin America's highest taxes - roughly
double what Chileans pay in percentage terms, and comparable to what
Britons or Canadians shell out - which makes waiting for hours to
see a doctor seem even more unbearable.
"People don't feel they're getting what they pay for," said Melo.
"In the current context, where people's pocketbooks are hurting,
it's no wonder there's so much dissatisfaction."
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FLEEING TO PRIVATE SYSTEM
Brazilians who can afford private-sector plans have access to some
of South America's best medical care, but roughly 70 percent of the
population relies on the public system.
The government only spends about 4 percent of gross domestic product
on healthcare - compared to more than 7 percent in other countries
that guarantee universal access such as Britain and Sweden,
according to Brazil's Federal Council of Medicine (CFM), a
non-profit group.
Rousseff's government argues the ruling Workers' Party has
throughout 12 years in power made progress from a very low base.
Indeed, CFM data shows government health spending has risen 80
percent on an inflation-adjusted basis since 2003.
In response to e-mailed questions, the health ministry pointed to
new, more efficient procurement procedures and said federal health
spending will rise another 6 percent this year.
Numerous health indicators have improved recently. Brazil's infant
mortality rate has fallen by half since 2000, while life expectancy
at birth has risen from 66 years in 1990 to 75 years in 2013,
according to the World Health Organization.
Nevertheless, in a nationwide poll by Datafolha taken last June, 87
percent of respondents said they were unsatisfied with the public
system.
Even the private-sector system is not a panacea.
Monica Salim, a clerical worker, said she took a second job as a
tutor to afford a roughly $400-a-month private health plan for her
father, a 74-year-old with prostate problems.
Salim was waiting at a special "tent" set up for people with dengue
symptoms, rubbing glassy eyes typical of the disease.
"There's a solution to these problems in Brazil," she said. "Never
get sick."
(Editing by Todd Benson and Kieran Murray)
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