Abelardo Santos contributes to the training of professionals in the health sector
More than 3,500 students participated in the teaching program of the largest public hospital in Pará in the last two years, strengthening the SUS in the State
Recognized as the largest public health unit of the government of Pará and a reference in free care for women, children, and indigenous peoples, the Dr. Abelardo Santos Regional Hospital (HRAS), located in Icoaraci, a district of Belém, also consolidates itself as one of the main centers for academic training and qualification of health professionals in the State.
Between January 2024 and June 2025, more than 3,500 students, including undergraduates, postgraduates, residents, master's students, and researchers, passed through the hospital to carry out practical internships, both at the technical and higher levels. In this stage, they experience hospital routines and the 100% free care processes through the Unified Health System (SUS), always under supervision.
An example of this experience is nursing student Gustavo Santiago, 25, who is in the final stage of his training. He follows the routine of patients, such as that of little Wendel Leonel, who is only eight months old. Wilma de Nazaré, the baby's mother, praised the teaching program and the care received: “I think it's wonderful when a person studies, qualifies to help the population. This fills me with joy because health is a necessity,” she stated.
For Gustavo Santiago, the experience at HRAS has been decisive for his career. “Learning in a medium and high complexity unit contributes to the training of any professional. It carries weight and generates opportunities. And the hospital offers us this background, especially due to its care profile and the more than eleven specialties available here. When I leave here, I leave prepared,” he emphasized.
The practical training offered by the Abelardo Santos Hospital has a direct impact on students' performance in the job market. Many secure positions in reference institutions, enter multiprofessional and medical residency programs, and take on strategic roles in public and private health services, highlighting the quality of education and the excellence experienced at the unit.
Research
Students and residents receive constant guidance, training in care flows, and an excellent education under the supervision of the Teaching and Research Department (DEP) of HRAS. In addition, they are encouraged to develop scientific and technological research. As a reflection of this encouragement, around 20 research projects were conducted at the Abelardo Santos Hospital in 2023 and 2024.
According to the DEP coordinator, Brenda Tanielle, more than 80% of future professionals who pass through the unit annually remain in Pará. “In other words, the winners are the people of Pará, who now have access to a more qualified health service, with more professionals available and focused on humanization and a deep understanding of the reality of a public hospital,” she highlighted.
Brenda also emphasized the importance of HRAS in the fields of teaching and research. Evidence of this is the frequent publication of articles in national and international scientific journals, as well as participation in relevant events, such as the most recent International Nursing Symposium held in São Paulo, where works developed by collaborators and interns were presented.
In the first half of 2025, the hospital consolidated its academic production with publications and participation in the preparation of a book chapter, resulting from research in various areas of health. These initiatives reinforce research and teaching as pillars for quality care, for quality assistance, and for management committed to patient safety.
“This also reinforces our commitment to encourage not only students and residents but also the professionals who work here and are on the front lines, directly interacting with patients. Many of them feel motivated to study and produce scientific works with the aim of improving our assistance and delivery to the user,” adds the coordinator.
Structure
With nearly two thousand professionals and over one million consultations per year, the Abelardo Santos Hospital has an infrastructure for hospitalization and outpatient care, distributed over an area of 28,000 square meters, with eleven specialties: vascular, urology, thoracic surgery, gynecological surgery, mastology, endoscopy, pediatric surgery, general and spinal neurosurgery, general medicine, and obstetrics.
HRAS has a 24-hour emergency and urgent care service focused on treating children and women in the specialties of gynecology and obstetrics. In total, there are 360 hospitalization beds, including clinical and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds. Additionally, the unit stands out as one of the main centers for dialysis and hemodialysis treatment in the state, with 24 machines.
According to the technical director, Marcel Ramalho, the encouragement of studies and research is one of the pillars of the Social Institute Mais Saúde (ISMS), which manages the Dr. Abelardo Santos Regional Hospital (HRAS) in partnership with the State Department of Public Health (Sespa). He emphasizes that the unit is strategic for the State, training qualified professionals, fostering scientific production, and integrating assistance, teaching, and innovation.
For the director, the Teaching and Research Department contributes to the improvement of health services by promoting technical updates, knowledge exchange, and evidence-based practices. “When we invest in qualification and research, we are not only preparing professionals for the future but strengthening assistance in the present, ensuring patients receive safe, humanized, and excellent care,” states Marcel.
