Many have heard of the infamous creature from Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein”. In the media, Victor Frankenstein’s creation is often portrayed as a humanoid monster sewn together with mismatched parts. So why was this creature being brought up in our discussion of the Argentine healthcare system?

Argentina promises healthcare as a human right. To follow through with this promise, the country offers universal healthcare coverage. On the surface level, this means that all citizens (and travelers to the country) can enjoy free healthcare. While it may initially seem to be an appealing alternative to the expensive system in the United States, research into Argentine healthcare quickly reveals the inefficiencies and fragmentation that permeate their system.

Healthcare in Argentina can be divided into 3 main sectors: public, private, and obras sociales (the social security sector). The public sector is free for all, and about 35% of Argentinians rely on this sector. For shorter wait times and less crowded facilities, some wealthier Argentinians opt to pay out-of-pocket for private healthcare. The social security sector serves as an inbetween. There, unions will take a portion of their workers’ paychecks for social health insurance and can contract hospitals in the private sector to help provide care at a reduced cost for employees. 

Today, we had the chance to hear from Dr. Gabriel Novick and Dr. Luis Gimenez and expand our knowledge on these sectors. Dr. Novick was initially brought up the metaphor of Frankenstein in his discussion of striving for coordination among these different sectors. He mentioned that, unlike in other areas completely struck by poverty, the vastly different income levels in Argentina made it impossible to construct a blanket solution. While some areas were thriving, others had no sewage or running water. In addition to lack of coordination among the sectors, there is fragmentation in the governance, jurisdiction, laws, interests, and goals. Dr. Gimenez touched again on the importance of equity instead of equality and how the National Ministry of Health plays into that objective. He also mentioned rising global support for universal coverage and how there was “no turning back”. 

With the different sectors and various layers of fragmentation, it’s easy to see how this system compares to Frankenstein. The systems are separate and struggling to integrate and become a complete and functioning entity. Over these next two weeks, I want to continue to explore the fragmented nature of Argentina’s healthcare system. What communication channels are already in place, and what is being worked on now? What attempts have been made in the past to address rising inequity? I look forward to finding out more.