Wife really wants to go back to Argentina with kid

[mmoon]

I think for preventative care, in normal times, and for the bulk of the population, the medical care in Argentina is heads above the general medical care in the US as a whole. However, the OP is faced with a choice of whether to go from lockdown in Peru to either Argentina or to California in the midst of an unprecedented, international pandemic, and I’m saying I would choose California (not the US in general, but specifically California) for the reasons I mentioned previously.

 

[Ceviche]

Such great arguments you both make. Spoken from experience with the respective health care systems, I'm sure.

Yes.

I have dealt on a daily basis with US health system from 2008-2012 on a daily basis.

I have had couple of surgeries here in Argentina in last 8 years.

 

[jeff1234]

I agree. The health care industry in the US is run for the benefit of insurance companies and lawyers. The insurance companies take almost a $trillion/year out of the health care systemand generally insure only the young and healthy people via their employers. Medical malpractice lawyers also earn alot but their real cost is in demoralizing the hospitals, doctors and nurses and causing them to practice defensive medicine.

Everyone with a pre-existing condition either pays thousands a month for Obamacare or relies on the local emergency room.

Doctors and nurses cannot possibly deliver quality care in this structure. Many doctors are leaving the profession. They were often the best and most caring students, they deserved better.

I consider the care that I have gotten in La Plata to be much, much superior to what I experienced in the US. The doctors aren't surrounded by flashy devices but they are very competent and put the patient first.

 

[EL_TIGRE_de_Tigre]

US Healthcare is a business, not a service. It is one giant money grab. There is no such thing as a small, independent medical facility anymore, everything is owned or being gobbled up by the big groups. They are making huge networks and control huge swaths of patient groups / territories.

There is no such thing as a one off pharmacy or local family owned chain like in the past. It is CVS / RITE AID / WALGREENS etc ...

 

[Weyland]

There are some great hospitals with cutting edge technology and top notch doctors, but overall the healthcare system in the US is a joke.

 

[MatameBA]

Imagine all of a sudden Argentina has 25,000+ coronavirus cases over the next couple of weeks and a ton of people need to be hospitalized.

Would the public healthcare system really be able to support that? Do they really have the staff, equipment, supplies necessary?

Maybe. But Argentina has been utterly broke for decades. A doctor I know who works at a public hospital told me they run at 80-90% capacity on a good day.

It's not even a question of "US vs. Argentina" in terms of doctor quality. The US is rich, Argentina is poor. For that reason, the US simply has more manpower and equipment to deal with this situation.

If I need to be hospitalized for the coronavirus, I don't need some friendly doctor to chit-chat with about family and give me a kiss on the cheek. Put me in my bed, hook me up to my machine, and give me my meds. Treat me like I'm a dollar sign instead of a human being - I don't care. Just give me my treatment.

 

[Somewhereinba]

Imagine all of a sudden Argentina has 25,000+ coronavirus cases over the next couple of weeks and a ton of people need to be hospitalized.

Would the public healthcare system really be able to support that? Do they really have the staff, equipment, supplies necessary?

Maybe. But Argentina has been utterly broke for decades. A doctor I know who works at a public hospital told me they run at 80-90% capacity on a good day.

It's not even a question of "US vs. Argentina" in terms of doctor quality. The US is rich, Argentina is poor. For that reason, the US simply has more manpower and equipment to deal with this situation.

If I need to be hospitalized for the coronavirus, I don't need some friendly doctor to chit-chat with about family and give me a kiss on the cheek. Put me in my bed, hook me up to my machine, and give me my meds. Treat me like I'm a dollar sign instead of a human being - I don't care. Just give me my treatment.

I think most expats are accessing the 'top' hospitals in BA so their view is a bit skewed in one direction. As I said in case of an emergency (eg car crash) you will not get a choice where they take you. You will end up likely in the public health system which is not ideal in anyway. For the conversation to be valuable we need to be comparing apples to apples - not the best of BA to the average of US. If you have money in the US I'm sure you will get the best care/treatment available in the world as well with the latest medicines and knowledge. I'm not so sure you could get that here.

 

[Somewhereinba]

Out of curiosity, your relatives work in the public or private system? In the city or somewhere else?

Both - they move between the two. Focused on cardiology. It's not in Buenos Aires its another state/city.

 

[sergio]

I don't think many expats have seen the hospitals in the provinces, or even most of the public hospitals in Capital. But I remember a now defunct private hospital in Capital - won't mention the name - cats roaming the guardia, filthy waiting area. A total mess. A surgeon who attended me at Trindiad a number of years ago told me his father was a surgeon in Formosa (Argentina), Said the hospital had virtually no supplies. His father had to bring his own surgical equipment,. During the 2001 crisis I remember a photo of doctors in the paper reading X-rays outside in sun because they had no device in the hospital to read them.

 

[Somewhereinba]

I don't think many expats have seen the hospitals in the provinces, or even most of the public hospitals in Capital. But I remember a now defunct private hospital in Capital - won't mention the name - cats roaming the guardia, filthy waiting area. A total mess. A surgeon who attended me at Trindiad a number of years ago told me his father was a surgeon in Formosa (Argentina), Said the hospital had virtually no supplies. His father had to bring his own surgical equipment,. During the 2001 crisis I remember a photo of doctors in the paper reading X-rays outside in sun because they had no device in the hospital to read them.

That is closer to the current reality around the country. The top class private BA hospitals are not the normal in anyway. Hopefully people realise that and stop believing this social free healthcare system is a winner with no negative aspects.