During his speech at the opening of ordinary sessions in the Mendoza Legislature, the governor Alfredo Cornejo conducted a review of a series of measures that the provincial government has been implementing in sensitive areas of the health system. health. The axis was placed on some points that were included in the Provincial Health Plan 2024-2030 presented in mid-February but there were no announcements regarding the implementation of new health policies.
Alfredo Cornejo He began his speech by making an analysis of the economic reality that Argentina is currently experiencing. After reviewing the public policies of other governments, the governor highlighted the need to produce priority reforms that will allow poverty rates to be overcome and lead the country to collective progress. With a nod to President Javier Milei, the provincial leader mentioned the need to give him the tools requested by the national government to then be able to demand results in macroeconomic matters.
After mentioning the high inflation rates, the governor of Mendoza began with a review of issues that his administration has been carrying out and the health was the starting point.
The first provincial leader took as his axis 4 aspects that his management considers priority. On the one hand, there is the enhancement of health professionals and the restructuring of HR policy; the recovery of medical costs that arise from prepaid and social work affiliates who go to public hospitals; strengthening the mental health area, infant mortality and teenage pregnancy figures.
Healthcare professionals
“We have presented an unprecedented plan, whose final objective is to outline a State policy that is the result of consensus, with the aspiration of achieving a more fair, efficient and equitable system,” he highlighted, referring to the Provincial Health Plan 2024-2030 presented. in the month of February with the province’s Minister of Health and Sports, Rodolfo Montero.
Among the most relevant proposals, the governor expressed that a restructuring of the HR policy is planned to value professionals that aim to generate the appropriate conditions to contribute to the transformation of the health system.
Social and prepaid works
The health sector was at the center of the scene for being one of the most affected during 2023 and the outlook for this year is not promising. During recent months, public hospitals have registered an increase in the demand for care from members of social works and prepaid medicine companies, although the benefits provided in these institutions must be paid for by them, the reality is that the increase in demand affects the availability of appointments and treatments.
“We believe it is essential to deepen the efficiency of the system and to do so it is necessary for the Province to recover the cost of the medical services it provides to the population that has health coverage. social works or prepaid. To this end, we have created an autonomous entity that will centralize the management and administration of these resources,” he said.
Mental health
Mendoza is not immune to the problem surrounding mental health, on the other hand, has a high suicide rate. So far in 2024, there is almost one death per day, surpassing those caused by traffic accidents. In Greater Mendoza there are a total of 160 beds for Mental Health in the monovalent hospitals and 13 in the CIPAU (comprehensive center for adolescent care), to which are added around 200 beds that are distributed in general hospitals throughout the province.
“The problem takes on a greater dimension when we observe the growth of complex cases at an early age. During January of this year, we put into operation the first day center for adolescents between 12 and 18 years old who have difficulties in being included and sustained in the social sphere,” Cornejo highlighted.
Child mortality
The governor made reference to the infant mortality rate recorded in the province and positively praised the Prevention and Promotion law approved by the Legislature. “It is a tool that contributes to improving people’s quality of life and reducing the demand for medical services from both the public and private subsectors. In 2016, when we began our first administration, 50 children under one year old died. at home without timely access to health services. As a contrast and with satisfaction, I want to announce that during 2023 not a single child died at home and that the mortality rate is almost 3 points lower than then,” he said.
“We have worked hard to sustain health policies that have led Mendoza to be one of the provinces with the lowest infant mortality rate, having 5.5 deaths per thousand live births, which expresses a rate much lower than the national average. Regarding to the teenage pregnancy figures, a marked decrease was also recorded in the period from 2016 to 2023, which shows a percentage ranging from 15.6% to 7.7% currently,” he added.
