I think I may have found my new favorite form of transportation. After about an hour on the bus, we boarded a boat to Tigre! I loved being able to look out at houses and wave at people on boats as we passed by.
As you’ve probably guessed by now, Tigre is a region surrounded by water, which puts it into a unique position when it comes to healthcare. Nurse Emilse and nurse Eugenia explained a few of the struggles they face due to the river that separates many islands of the region from the continent. For one, many people cannot afford gas for easy transportation. This means that medicines must be carefully measured and restocked according to people’s needs. Since winter is approaching in Argentina, one thing that there is a greater supply of is children’s medicine. While there are boat ambulances, this form of transportation has complications of its own. Low water levels can cause the rudder to get stuck in the mud, and fog leads to terrible visibility.
These issues emphasize the importance of primary care, especially when it comes to an area like this. Primary care provides basic care for a variety of base-level health concerns. This includes things like vaccines, pills, dental care, and mental health services. The focus is on promotion of health and prevention of disease instead of expensive treatments. If there is something that requires more involvement and expertise, patients can progress to the second level of care (one example given was an OB-GYN for a pregnant woman). National hospitals are needed for complex cases, and these situations will require that patients be quickly transported to the main continent. Primary care is the foundation of this chain of healthcare and is essential to ensuring that resources aren’t unnecessarily used on high-cost procedures. For Tigre, the goal is to address people’s needs without having patients travel far from their homes. Unfortunately, there are still instances where it is difficult to reach people, especially in the more rural areas.
One thing that has stuck with me is the phrase “the head thinks where the feet step”. This was used to describe how one can only begin to address the problems that people in Tigre face if they live in the region themselves. To have the best understanding of people’s experiences and needs, you need a full understanding of their daily struggles. The nurses believed that this was an essential part of supporting their patients.
The time flew by, and before I knew it, we were back on the boat and headed to lunch. After eating, we had a chance to shop at Puerto de Frutos where I got more gifts for my family and some silly slippers for myself. I had so much fun today, and I can’t wait for tomorrow!
