For the second day in a row, my day started bright and early. I was up at 7 a.m., and by 8 a.m., we were on our way to visit a public clinic located on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. What made this visit especially unique was the journey itself as we had to take both a bus and a boat to reach the clinic, which is situated on an island among a network of river islands.

The experience felt like stepping into a South American version of Venice. Locals rely entirely on boats to get around, and everything from groceries to emergency services is transported by water. After about 45 minutes on the road and another hour on the boat, we arrived at the clinic. Right away, the difference between public and private healthcare facilities became clear. This clinic was very small and just four rooms in total. Additionally the building was visibly run down. Their only ambulance was, fittingly, a small boat. While the staff there did their best to provide essential care, it was evident that resources were extremely limited. It gave us a clear look at how primary care operates in more remote and underserved areas, acting as the first point of contact for people who often have no nearby access to a larger hospital.

After our clinic visit, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant and explored a local market where I picked up a few souvenirs. Then, we boarded the bus again for our second stop of the day: a large public hospital located in a wealthier area of the city. Compared to the island clinic, this hospital was significantly more modern and better staffed. However, it still didn’t fully meet the standards many of us are used to in the United States. For example, we noticed cigarette smoke lingering in parts of the hospital, and we weren’t asked to sanitize or wear masks even when entering sensitive areas like the ICU.

This contrast highlighted the relationship between primary care clinics and public hospitals in Argentina’s healthcare system. Clinics like the one on the island serve as essential first touch providers in their communities, but they often lack the resources to offer more complex or urgent care. When patients require more specialized treatment, they’re referred to public hospitals which, while larger and somewhat better equipped, still face systemic challenges and limited funding.

Overall, today’s visits gave me a much deeper appreciation for how public healthcare functions in Argentina especially the ways primary care and hospitals are interconnected, and the huge role that geography and socioeconomic status play in access and quality of care.