Today was a bit more relaxed as we got to sleep in and left the hotel around 10 a.m. for a tango lesson. The instructors made it super fun and engaging, even for those of us whom consider ourselves to be bad at dancing. After the tango lesson, we had an hour to grab lunch before heading out to our next big stop: Hospital Interzonal.

This hospital was about an hour away from the city center and located in one of the rougher neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. The difference between this hospital and the large public hospital we visited earlier in a wealthier part of the city was striking. Hospital Interzonal had far fewer resources, and the overall condition of the facilities was lacking. It was a clear example of federalism where both national and local governments share power can result in big differences in healthcare access and quality depending on the region or neighborhood. When local governments don’t have strong funding or support, the public services, like hospitals, often suffer.

After the hospital visit, we traveled to Universidad Nacional de La Matanza for a tour of their nursing school, led by the director himself. It was really interesting to see their simulation labs in action, and they even had current students perform a live medical scenario for us. We ended the visit with a short presentation about the university, where we learned that since it’s a public institution, students can attend for free. That led to a huge increase in first generation college students which I found to be a really inspiring point.

To wrap up, we joined in a group activity where we drew cards with discussion questions about the Argentine healthcare system. My group was asked to share our impressions of the public healthcare system. After today’s visits, it was clear to us that while the system aims to provide free care and education for all, the quality and experience people receive can vary drastically depending on where they live which is something federalism plays a big role in.