Guilherme Varjão
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Rio - Long lines at Social Security (Previdencia - also known as INSS) have become a regular feature of Brazil.ian life But now minister of Social Security (Previdência Social), Nelson Machado, says he hopes a new computer system for making medical appointments will cut the waiting time in half.

The system has been tried out in Bahia and is now being installed throughout the state of Rio de Janeiro.

The service requires that people wanting to see INSS doctors make appointments in their workplace through the internet. "That means it will not be necessary for people to go to INSS posts and wait to make the appointment. They only need to go when they have an appointment. As 50% of the people who stand in lines at the INSS are there to make doctor appointments, we can cut the waiting in half (the other 50% is waiting for benefit payments of some kind)" says the minister.

Translation: Allen Bennett