PATHS AND ABSENCES IN THE HEALTH HERITAGE OF BELÉM, PARÁ

Abstract

This article presents the results of an inventory on the historical trajec­tory of health institutions in the city of Belem, taking into account its architecture and the role changes that have suffered over time. These changes are imprinted both on the buildings and the memories of the Belem population, as well as in the absences resulted from the demoli­tions. The resulting documentation includes institutional documents, old and current photographs, architectural drawings and interviews, which constitute a collection untapped for understanding health care in northern Brazil. The reconstruction of the trajectories of deployment and move­ment of the institutions studied contributes to the understanding of the process of urban expansion, with occupancy of wetlands (due to the im­plementation of hospices) and land areas, as prioritized by hygienists policies. Key-words: Health heritage, memory, Belém.