Today we traveled outside of central Buenos Aires to visit the Paroissien Hospital in La Matanza, one of the many municipalities on the outskirts of the Buenos Aires Province. The hospital is a public hospital that is fully funded by the province, but it is not funded by the municipality. During our visit, we learned how different municipalities receive different levels of funding depending on their population size and economic status. For example, San Isidro is a smaller and wealthier municipality, so it receives more funding and has access to better resources. In comparison, La Matanza has a much larger population and higher levels of poverty, which creates more strain on the healthcare system, and this results in fewer available resources. While touring the hospital, it was clear that the facility lacked funding in many areas, and it was more run down than other healthcare facilities we have visited. We toured many parts of the hospital, including the morgue, the X-ray and MRI rooms, and the ICU. One of the most interesting parts of the visit was seeing the new ICU unit that is still under construction. It showed the improvements that the hospital was trying to make. Unlike the older parts of the hospital, the ICU was much more modern and updated, showing efforts to improve healthcare despite financial challenges.

After visiting the hospital, we traveled to Universidad Nacional de La Matanza (UNLaM), where we met with some nursing students and faculty. We enjoyed empanadas and sandwiches while talking with the students about nursing school, healthcare, and daily life in Argentina. We also toured the university’s simulation lab and watched two nursing students actively work through a patient case together, which was cool to see. Later, we attended a presentation about the nursing curriculum at the university and what it is like to work as a nurse in Buenos Aires.

Today showed how finances and economics strongly impact healthcare and education in municipalities surrounding Buenos Aires. Wealthier municipalities are often able to provide better hospitals, more resources, and a stronger education, while larger and poorer municipalities struggle with overcrowding and limited funding. Despite these challenges, both the hospital staff and nursing students showed passion in improving their communities.