Today we took a boat ride to the Tigre Municipo, a public health center near the Rio Capitan. The clinic which was just like the one we saw yesterday, however this one relied a lot more on funding from the government and a lot less on volunteer services. This clinic seemed to have a much more present established system and reflected, in my opinion, the doctors offices that we have in America. Within the clinic’s main building they had individual offices for dental, consulting, and vaccines. The doctors and nurses are there 24 hours a day, having their own break room and kitchen, as a way to ensure access to care at any time. Because there are many residents who may not be able to access the primary care center in case of emergency or if they are just unable to get to the main health center, the Tigre Clinic had two mobile ambulance boats. The boat had 3 consulting rooms and a dental room, and usually saw more patients than the actual clinic. 

After the boat ride we went to the Hospital de San Isidro and received a lecture from Maria Richards. The presentation essentially talked about the mission of the hospital and how the hospital actually received its funding. It was a complicated system involving funding from the local municipalities and surrounding municipalities as well. After the presentation, we were given a tour of the hospital. The tour included a quick walkthrough of the intensive care unit. Here, many patients were unconscious and in serious condition, being monitored with nurses on watch. After this we went to the intermediate care unit, which is for patients who are now more stable and have been transferred out of the ICU. These people were mostly awake, however they were still bed-ridden. 

In Argentina, the funding is balanced between hospitals and primary care by prioritizing cost effectiveness, general access, and the overall outcomes of the population’s health. Services that aim at preventing future health related issues reduce long term costs, however hospitals are set to receive substantial funding due to political visibility and demand. Resource allocation often reflects only the short term pressures of fund distribution rather than addressing long term prevention goals.