Hi again! Today was super long but amazing! We visited a place called Tigre and got to see a public health clinic. There, we talked to professionals about how the small clinic is run and the things that are most important to them. This part of Tigre is made up of a network of channels and waterways that connect them to the mainland. So, local are required to use boats in order to go to schools and hospitals. They have even developed transportation, such as the availability of boats that ease access to education and healthcare services, because not everyone who lives in the area has a boat.
On our boat ride, two nurse Eugenia and Emilise served as our tour guides. They provided us with a brief picture of how people live in this part of Tigre and the difficulties they occasionally encounter while trying to seek healthcare. People may use the boats depending on the weather and how high or low the tide is.
Another major thing that we discussed was the importance of primary care to a functioning health system and some of the challenges that Argentina faces in delivering high quality and accessible care. Primary care is a critical component of any functioning health system. It covers a range of prevention and early detection of diseases, wellness, and treatment for common illnesses. This specific type of care develops long-term relationships with their patients which leads them to understand their medical history and therefore resulting in better healthcare outcomes. In Argentina however, there is a common misconception of the term primary care. Some people find that visiting a primary care doctor is a burden and would rather go straight to a specialist doctor instead. Another challenge in delivering high quality care is the lack of accessibility to primary care doctors in some areas. Also, the lack of nearby clinics, outdated infrastructures, and shortages of medical equipment and resources. When we were at the site, it was clear that there were some insufficiencies including size and technology. The nurses even confessed that obviously the hospital conditions and infrastructure were not the best. However, they explained that the treatment and care is “digno” (genuine) and that it the most important thing. The healthcare professionals deliver the best care that they are able to give because they genuinely want to help the patient.
After the visit, we had some lunch at a really nice place where a lot of people had steak. It was really good. Then, to end the day, they gave us some free time in Puerto de Frutos where we walked around and did some shopping. Overall, today was a really good day and I’m very excited for tomorrow!
