One of the best feelings is having extra time in the morning. After getting ready, we were told that the bus was stuck in traffic, and many people took this as a chance to have a quick breakfast and relax. Eventually taxis arrived in its place. My group’s driver was great. When he heard that we were not from Argentina, he took the traffic as an opportunity to explain the sites we were passing by and shared information about Argentine culture. The small groups soon arrived, and we headed to meet with our first speaker of the day.
While I look back on my pandemic experience as a very quiet and isolated time, the opposite was happening in Argentina’s hospitals (and those around the world). Response to this crisis required accurate projections and constant collaboration between different levels of government and various sectors within Argentina.
Our first discussion was with Dra. Josefina Medrano. She was the Minister of Health in the province of Salta during COVID and served a vital role in assisting this area. Unlike Buenos Aires, Salta is a poor province, and the terrain and surrounding borders make it difficult to transport important equipment in a timely manner. Dra. Medrano told us that before the pandemic, there was already a 25% deficit in the number of beds needed. After the pandemic, this deficit rose exponentially. She needed to quickly determine priorities for the province, enforce quarantine measures, allocate funds, and speak with leaders in the neighborhoods to address the citizens’ concerns. Due to Salta being a poorer province, it was considered a priority for the government. The support and coordination of the national government and Dra. Medrano (who acted as part of the provincial government) was vital in securing life-saving resources. The aid received has expanded the medical facilities available in the Salta province and improved their technology, but the deficit still persists.
The next person we talked to was Dr. Ignacio Previgliano. He discussed his objectives and accomplishments during his time as the director of hospital Fernández. Dr. Previgliano has worked hard to guide the hospital, but there are still struggles with registration, admission and discharge, bed management, and billing and cost recovery. The pandemic required him to implement many changes at a rapid pace. This included repurposing wards and providing training in infectology and lung ultrasounds. Support through various avenues, such as donations, the National Health Ministry, and the City Health Ministry, allowed the hospital to assist more patients in need of critical care. Both talks today made it clear that coordination among these levels of governance are key to supporting citizens.
We ended the day with a walking tour led by Señora Patricia. It was amazing to see how many beautiful sights, shops, and restaurants we could reach from our hotel! My favorite part was going to the Recoleta Cemetery. Señora Patricia told us stories (both the haunting and the beautiful) of the people buried there. The stunning architecture and detailed history makes it easy to see how it is one of the most visited cemeteries in the world.
