Medical labour under neoliberalism: an ethnographic study in Colombia

Objectives In order to increase the knowledge about the impacts of neoliberal market forces on physician’s labour, this article’s objectives are to analyse how and why the labour of physicians is transformed by neoliberalism, and the implications of these transformations for patient care. Methods Ethnographic investigation is carried out through semi-structured interviews with 20 general practitioners at public and private facilities in Colombia. The interviews were contrasted with national studies of physician’s labour since the 1960s. A “mock” job search was also simulated. The analysis was guided by Marxian frameworks. The study was approved by a Human Research Ethics Committee, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. Results The overpowering for-profit administration of the Colombian healthcare system imposes productivity mechanisms on physicians as a result of a deregulated labour market characterized by low salaries, reduced and self-funded social security benefits, and job insecurity. Overworked physicians with reduced autonomy become frustrated for not being able to provide the care their patients need according to clinical standards. Conclusions Under neoliberal conditions, medical labour becomes exploitable and directly productive through its formal and real subsumption to Capital. The negative consequences of a progressive loss in physician’s autonomy unveil the incompatibility between neoliberal health systems and people’s health.