In the government they provide a sanitary reciprocity agreement with Bolivia

The case of the jujeño musician Manuel Vilca, who had an accident in Bolivia and had to pay almost $ 10,000 to benefit from medical badistance, and that of the architect of Tucuman, Maximiliano Conca, who has had a heart attack in Chile and had to pay $ 650,000 before leaving the naval hospital of Viña del Mar and being transferred to Argentina, this week revived the debate on the payment of medical care to foreigners not residing in the country.

Consulted by PROFILE, Secretary of Health of the Nation, Adolfo Rubinstein, was in favor of moving forward in reciprocal health agreements with neighboring countries (so far it only exists with Chile). In fact, he said that probably next Friday there will be a meeting with the Bolivian authorities start working on a reciprocal agreement to ensure free healthcare in public hospitals, especially in the event of a medical emergency and certain emergencies.

"It's good to sit down and think about how we are funding health care services." In the case of non-resident aliens, whether or not we need to price. The reality is that all over the world, if you are a foreigner, they charge you. Even in countries that have universal coverage or more progressive systems, they charge you, "said Rubinstein.

"There is no free health. Even if the patient in the public system does not pay directly out of pocket, that does not mean it's free. We pay the whole thing with our taxes, contributions and contributions of workers to social security and, in the case of prepaid, with a voluntary contribution, "added the manager, who also noted that the health expenses of the health workers in the case of prepaid. Argentina were high: nearly 10% of GDP.

The Bolivian consul replied to Gerardo Morales: "He wants to take advantage of the political advantage"

Controversy The beginning of negotiations for the conclusion of a reciprocal agreement with Bolivia comes after the criticism of Governor Gerardo Morales to President Evo Morales. In an open letter, he blamed him for the "unfair and dehumanized treatment" that Argentines receive in this country when they need medical badistance. After the controversy, the Jujuy legislature approved a provincial law that approves collection of insurance intended for foreigners requiring medical care in hospitals and health centers of Jujuy. "Last year, the province's health system welcomed 50,000 people of other nationalities," said Governor Morales.

The measure was strongly criticized opposition and professional entities. The Federation of Health Professionals of the Argentine Republic described the law as "xenophobic, anti-social and unconstitutional" and affirmed that "this law also aims to stigmatize Bolivian citizens". According to the entity, the number of foreigners attending public institutions rarely exceeds 10% of the total.

For Rubinstein, if Jujuy decides on a tariff on non-resident aliens, he has the right to do it. "What we can not do is discriminate against the attention given to foreigners.We must take care of foreigners, regardless of their status, whether they are resident or not, legal or illegal. whether they are pbading or not, we need to take care of them, and that is part of everyone's right to receive medical care.What is not typed, that's right. if this attention should be free, and that's it power of the provinces"He said.

"What I think is that we have to define it at the national level, it would not be good for Jujuy to do one thing, Comodoro Rivadavia another, it can be chaotic. in a national law of health and start putting white on the black that kind of thing. This must be defined at the legislative level. "

In fact, Cambiemos' deputies last year presented a bill to Congress to impute to them access to health and education to foreigners that had been "drained" by foreigners. deputies.

The initiative of the radical legislator Luis Petri had generated votes for and against the ruling party. never tried Committee on Health and did not obtain an opinion. But this could be on the parliamentary agenda of 2019.

As, Yesterday he was transferred to a medical plane Maximiliano Concawho had suffered a heart attack while vacationing in Chile. From his room in the coronary unit of the hospital of Tucumán health center, Conca praised public health in Argentina: "The services do not change and the professionals are as good from here as from there, "he said of the care received at the hospital. Naval hospital of Viña del Mar- but the major difference is that here health is a right and it's free, it's for everyone, instead, in Chile, you have to pay and sometimes they are impossible figures, "said the 40-year-old man, who had to pay 600,000 pesos to the Chilean hospital for not having travel insurance.

"The gratitude I feel for the government of the province, which allowed me to be here today, is immense, they could have left me in Chile, but no, they will not leave me alone. saved their lives, "he concluded.

Hantavirus: "A tragedy has been avoided"

Asked about the epidemic of hantavirus in Epuyen – which caused 11 deaths and 34 positive cases – Rubinstein badured that it was decided prolong 45 days of respiratory isolation selective to prevent the emergence of new cases. "The reality is that the epidemic is being mastered, it will never be known, but I think we are avoiding a tragedy because we are doing the right thing. there was interpersonal transmission, something that had been described in the El Bolsón epidemic but that had not occurred in the last twenty years, so the guard was lowered, "said the Secretary of Health.

As regards the critics of the governor of Chubut, the justicialista Mariano Arcioni, who had demanded greater commitment from the national state to fight the epidemic, Rubinstein said the appropriate measures of isolation, biological containment and biosecurity were being taken. "Our staff of the Epidemiology Department has been in Epuyén for two months, Anlis-Malbrán technicians were always present, equipment, supplies were sent, all of them the samples were processed, the costs we estimate are up to 15 million pesos. There was no budget restriction, "he explained.The results of genomic sequencing are still waiting to see if there was a mutation of the virus.

Yellow fever alert. The Government of the Nation Secretariat has launched a health alert against dengue and yellow fever. "Dengue fever appears, cases are reported in several provinces, and for the moment we are monitoring the situation closely, there are epidemics in Paraguay and Bolivia and, as we know, the mosquito does not recognize the borders, "said Rubinstein.

"We are very worried with yellow fever. According to our forecasts, there is a good chance that we will have local cases this year. After the outbreak of 2009, we had no indigenous cases. Last year, there were imported cases. But there were epizootics, dead monkeys, near the border. The endemic area decreases almost to the rhythm of 2.5 km a day"Warned the health secretary.According to the official, vaccination is being strengthened at Misiones (the vaccine is mandatory in this province) to prevent the circulation of the virus.