Hey again! Our day started with a lecture from the Deputy Minister of Health. It was a great chance for my group and I to get as much information as possible, since the Ministry of Health is the topic of our project. He discussed the challenges that the Ministry faces while also adding how the Ministry carries out its role. Afterwards, we took a visit to see the current Director of the Obras Sanitarias. Through this discussion and lecture, I learned about the cultural and political importance of organized labor. Coming together as a group within a particular craft, has brought an organized and different healthcare option for those in the workforce. In other words, organized labor in Argentina has also basically molded an organizational structure that has legal power to provide further coverage of healthcare across the country. After this lecture, I now understand that the Obras also have the political power encompassing the right to influence the national government. In other words, the existence of these 299 craft unions directly forces the government to continue to carry out and support “labor friendly” policies and more worker friendly ideologies. Think about it, there are 299 Obras, including 24 on the provincial level. There is no way that they would not have heavy governmental influence. Essentially, the main influential keys of this part of Argentina’s Healthcare System is that it allows for citizens to have another option of health security. Based on what your job is and on which level (provincial, judicial, or university), you essentially become a part of that corresponding union. If you have a job in a particular sector, and receive a paycheck, you are essentially a member of an obra. Additionally, it’s important to know that as formal employment decreases, so does Obras funding, as less people remain in that area of the workforce contributing to the Obras fund (the union itself).
After that great lecture from Dr. Scervino, we all had a group lunch! We all had some really nice Argentine style pizza. It was so good! Afterwards, we had a super cool bus tour of the city. We got to get off the bus at each stop and look around at each neighborhood spot. A bunch of people got some souvenirs but I wanted to save my money. I think the best part about today was definitely the lecture with the Deputy Minister of Health. He had very interesting and beneficial information about the Ministry. My group is definitely happy because of all of the information we ended up getting.