Does anyone need a tango partner? We began our day with a tango lesson hosted by IES, where we learned the basic steps and discussed the history of tango dancing. It was a really fun and engaging cultural experience, I am very excited to see a live show later this trip. Afterward, we took a bus to Paroissien Hospital, a public hospital located in La Matanza. Compared to the public hospital we previously visited in San Isidro, Paroissien appeared significantly more worn down with some areas flooded and much of the equipment outdated. Despite these conditions, the hospital did offer a wide range of important services, including mental health care, developmental support for children, and blood donation campaigns. With roughly 300 beds, the hospital plays a large role in serving the highly populated region of La Matanza and is continuing to seek solutions to supply and demand issues as well as federal funding.

In Argentina, the federal system is divided into the national, provincial, and municipal levels. Within each level, there are specific responsibilities and authorities that contribute to the funding of public hospitals, such as the Paroissien Hospital we visited today and the San Isidro Hospital we visited earlier in the week. Looking at them each individually, we saw clear divides in how federalism impacted the quality of care and financial stability of these two hospitals. As San Isidro is funded by the municipal level in a much wealthier neighborhood (greater tax income), it had higher quality technology and quality of care compared to the hospital in La Matanza. The provincial level of La Matanza, funded by the national government, receives less funding from taxation as it is in an area with higher poverty and crime rates. Unfortunately the quality of care given by the hospital is very limited financially for this reason. However, this does not have bearing on the dedication and strength of the staff at this hospital; they are highly adaptable to the funding they receive and have a mission to make healthcare accessible for all.

Lastly, after our hospital tour, we travelled to the Universidad Nacional de La Matanza, a public university that offers RN and BSN programs to students in the area. Here, we got a tour of the high fidelity simulation labs and got to watch nursing students perform CPR on a simulation mannequin. This lab was very similar to the one we use at Pitt to practice before clinicals, and was an impressive technological strength of the university. Following the demonstration, we dove into group discussions with some of the nursing students from the university about Argentina’s healthcare system and the hospital we visited earlier in the day. This was a super informative and engaging day, especially as a nursing student. I appreciate the direct exposure to the issues among public hospitals and also the opportunity to connect with other nursing students. Hasta luego amigos.