We started with breakfast at the hotel and then met with Dr. Florencia Ledesma to learn about ASE, one of the Obras Sociales and Medlife, a private insurance company and to compare them. ASE has faced many changes recently with Milei’s new policies. There we talked. We then had a quick lunch, and then drove to ICBA, a private cardiac hospital. We saw a cath lab room, talked with a physician doing their fellowship, and met one of the doctors. Walking into the hospital, I expected it to be more modern and up to date than the public hospitals, but walking in, the difference was staggering. There was a lounge area for people going in and out of their appointments that looked like a luxury futuristic spa. Everything was extremely up to date and after speaking to the staff there, we learned that they have an exactly equal in to out patient ratio, along with a one nurse to one doctor ratio along with there being 5 rooms per floor.

Seeing the difference was an off-putting experience. In San Isidro, we walked through the ICU, and saw many patients near each other with no privacy, while at ICBA, there were many separate rooms for everyone with tinted windows. The lounge area had a food area and remote-controlled white recliners. It was sad to see that the private hospital has fewer people and many more resources than the public hospitals, which carry thousands more people. While people are paying for that quality healthcare through their private insurance, it was uncomfortable knowing the other hospital conditions were not too far from there, and that if a small portion of the money that the private hospital was receiving, it would make a huge difference to public hospitals. Today I gained a lot of perspective, which I plan you utilize in my presentation and my life as well.