Violência, descaso e/ou desconhecimento? a multiplicidade de relações entre o estado (de Mato Grosso do Sul) e os/as ostomizados

Abstract

The ostomates are people that realized a surgery that changes intestinal or urinary transit, altering the conventional way of realizing physiological needs and leading to the need of an abdominal collection pouch that drains feces and/or urine. This “bags” can be bought or provided by Health Care plans or the Public Health System (SUS). However, there are many obstacles to achieve this material through the Public Health System, such as the lack of pouches or inadequate ones, considering the characteristics of a person’s ostomy - what damages not only the physical health, but interferes in social relations and quality of life. Besides, the specificities of ostomates are dispersed within the legislation regarding disabled persons, whereas since 2004 they are considered “people with physical disability”. Nevertheless, their rights are continuously violated. To fight for the ostomates’ dignity there are Associations that play an important role in dealing with this new situation, demanding respect, quality of life and visibility for ostomates, since they treated by the State in different occasions as unimportant, unknown and perhaps, considered integrally assisted even when they are actually unassisted. This research aims to spotlight these multiple relations, showing that although the ostomates are considered “unimportant” as subjects - reducing their needs to a pouch (when they have it) - they produce the necessary resistance to stay alive.