We started our day by going to Astral, and listening to Josefina Medrado, the ex-Provinciery Minister of Health of Salta. She talked about how Salta is one of the poorest provinces in Argentina, which means it’s plagued with more health issues, including a higher average infant mortality rate in comparison to the rest of the country. She talked a lot about the various challenges she faced during her time, and recalled how the unfortunate timing of COVID-19 prevented her from doing everything she aimed to do as Minster.
Next, we traveled to Juan Fernandez Hospital, which is one of the best public hospitals in the city. It started off as a syphillus treatment center, following by HIV treatment, so it is safe to say it came a long way. It faces many challenges, including the cost of modernization being beds available, as it recently lost close to half their beds, leaving them with only around 400. The culture shock I got from the hospital is unreal as well. While it is one of the best hospitals, the socioeconomic disparity was something spotted from a mile away. It was clear that many people relied on this hospital as their sole form of treatment, so the new political trend is heartbreaking to think about. Furthermore, in the US, patient privacy is one of the most important things in healthcare, so it was shocking that we were allowed to essentially roam free in the hospital, looking in patients rooms and even their state in the ICU. This was slightly heartbreaking, as I felt both uncomfortable and saddened in this hospital, as it felt wrong to be able to do this.
Following that, we went to a health restaurant, where I had a lasagna made of quinoa pancakes and spinach! While it definitely did not look, not really taste like one, it definitely gave me the much need nutrition that I have been severely lacking during this trip.
After lunch, we visited the Swiss Medical Group’s Hospital, which is a private hospital in Buenos Aires. Without evens tepping inside, I could see the difference in funding, as the exterior was perfectly clean with stained wood trims and a beautifully landscaped exterior. Once inside, it reminded me so much of a hospital back home, in terms of culture, as patient privacy was a top priority. Although they only have 250 beds, each ‘bed’ is actually a full hotel suite, complete with a living room and pull out couch. The joke was that the room was both nicer and cheaper than our hotel room, as the floors were literally marble!
The disparity between the two hospitals was unbelievable to say the least. It was clear that the public hospital’s beds and gurneys were ones passed down for decades, while the private ones looked brand new. I think the stark difference is shocking, as only 65% of people can actually utilize these private hospitals. We were also told that Fernandez was actually one of the nicest public hospitals, so I am curious to see what a ‘normal’ one would even look like. Overall, it was a very informative day and I cannot wait for tomorrow!
