Business
Retirees in Argentina Protest as Community Groups Fill the Gaps Amid Health Care Crisis
by Bridget Craig
This article is part of a reporting project from students at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism on stories from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Argentina is facing a health care crisis.
Protests on the streets of Buenos Aires are common and Argentina’s President Javier Milei is a frequent target of the demonstrations with chants like: “¡Fuera! ¡Fuera! ¡Fuera Milei! ¡Fuera!” (Get out! Get out! Get out Milei! Get out!)
One year into Milei’s administration, retirees and low-income populations, among others, are struggling to afford health care.
One protester earlier this year spoke about the choices she’s forced to make. “In my case, I decided not to buy the medications, because I need the money for other basic necessities.”
In Buenos Aires, retirees are taking to the streets, protesting cuts they say leave them unable to afford basic health care. These cuts include a reduction in government assisted coverage, higher out-of-pocket costs for medications and funding cuts to public hospitals, leaving vulnerable groups without essential care. Many call it a “social crime,” accusing the government of robbing retirees of their security.
But there are groups taking action.
El Pobre de Asís was created in 1998 to address the most vulnerable sectors in Argentina, including retirees. The group offers free yoga, fresh meals and medicine. As the Argentine government is making cuts to social services like its Institute for Retirees, also known as PAMI, fewer pharmacies are PAMI-designated and fewer people are able to get access to multiple medications with 100% coverage.
Pobre de Asís recipient Anibal Scarabelli is especially thankful that he is relatively healthy.
“Thank God I’ve only just started seeing a doctor, and I have just one medication, which is for blood pressure,” Scarabelli said. “PAMI covers it for me.”
A foundation called Tzedaká aims to ensure access where PAMI coverage falls short by providing free medications to vulnerable populations.
El Pobre de Asís Founding Director Victor Russo says that his organization partners with the Tzedaká Foundation to help its clients.
“So, through the agreement we have with the Tzedaká Foundation and its medicine bank — truly a key resource nationwide — we receive medications from them for all chronic patients who need a monthly supply of their prescriptions,” he said. “Tzedaká provides the medications, and we distribute them directly to each person who needs them.”
The Tzedeká Foundation was founded in 1991 to support Argentina’s Jewish community and it now provides medicine nationwide, free of charge.
“The Medicine Bank helps more than 50,000 people per year,” says Fabián Furman, the community medicine bank director. “These are people in vulnerable situations who wouldn’t be able to buy their medications any other way. To give you an idea of the Medicine Bank’s reach, last year (2024) we delivered over 8 million pills across the country throughout the year.”
Tzedeká functions almost entirely using volunteers.
“Here, what we do is sort medications,” says Ruth Kalinka, one of the volunteers, as she takes a break from the work. “Then we have a colleague who enters them into the computer, and that information goes to the pharmacy. There, they assemble the medications that beneficiaries request.”
Furman, the medicine bank director, believes the work is essential.
“The assistance we provide is truly invaluable to them, because they have no other way to obtain these medications,” Furman said. “Due to the economic situation and their lack of health insurance, our work is essential for them.”
In a time when many retirees face declining government support, Argentinians are finding that the power of community is making a difference.
Cecilia Guardati contributed translation support.
