A group of medical residents at the Garrahan Children’s Hospital in Buenos Aires have ended their strike, alleging they were intimidated and threatened with dismissal if they didn’t return to work.
Although the protest was called off on Wednesday, the residents made it clear they still stood by their demands and denounced what they described as a campaign of intimidation by hospital authorities and the national government.
“We were forced to end the strike,” read a statement from the Garrahan Residents’ Assembly, which confirmed that paediatrics and related departments had resumed normal duties.
“This decision does not mean we are abandoning the legitimacy of our claim,” they said, adding: “This measure confirms our commitment to our work and to the continuity of the medical residency at Garrahan Hospital.”
The residents insisted their demands were valid – and accused hospital authorities and the national government of using threats to shut down their protest and fire staff.
“We received two warnings,” they said. “One by email telling us to end the strike to avoid future sanctions. Then a verbal warning about the immediate risk of losing our jobs.”
Dr Carolina Goedelman, head of haematology at the hospital, said the threat was clear. “First there was word that new paediatricians would be hired to replace the residents,” she said.
“Then in the afternoon, the residents received telegrams warning that if they didn’t end the strike, they could be dismissed.”
She added: “They were told verbally that dismissal notices were already written and ready to be sent. So the residents called off the protest. They were threatened. Being told you’ll be fired is a threat.”
Permanent staff at Garrahan remain on strike. They want better pay. On Monday, staff staged a candlelight march at the Obelisk in central Buenos Aires to draw attention to their demands.
‘Political extortion’
President Javier Milei’s administration has faced strong criticism for its sweeping “chainsaw” cuts to public spending, not least in healthcare. In recent weeks, the Garrahan – Argentina’s leading and most prestigious paediatric hospital – has become a flashpoint, with staff staging walkouts over what they call “unsustainable” working conditions.
Government officials have responded by questioning staffing levels at the hospital and blaming internal “bureaucracy” for operational inefficiencies.
Milei’s government has also slammed the wider hospital walkout – led by the ATE state workers’ union – as a political move.
ATE launched a national day of protest across the health sector on Thursday. “The government has no intention of resolving the Garrahan conflict,” said union boss Rodolfo Aguiar. “We’re going to nationalise the protest and strike across the sector from midnight.”
The Health Ministry, led by Mario Lugones, responded sharply. “This is not a union action. It is a political extortion disguised as a protest,” the portfolio said. “There are no excuses. Health workers who choose not to attend their duties are violating basic obligations. They are putting vulnerable people at risk.”
It added: “National hospitals are not union battlegrounds. They are places of care, vocation and commitment.”
At Garrahan, the residents say they haven’t received any real pay rise. Their salary remains just under 800,000 pesos a month.
A bonus recently announced by hospital management is non-remunerative. It won’t count towards pensions, holiday pay or contributions.
“Hospital resident doctors will be paid 1.3 million pesos starting from July 1," said the hospital in a communiqué that criticised "slackers" and claimed some workers did not show up to their posts.
Goedelman said the bonus came out of the hospital’s own funds. “There was no new budget from the national government,” she said.
She also criticised the failure of the Labour Ministry’s conciliation process on Wednesday.
“There was nobody from the Health Ministry there, the actual employer. And those who came had no authority to talk about the budget. We left empty-handed.”
She warned of a coming exodus. “If nothing improves, professionals will leave. These are highly trained staff. Losing them would be a huge blow.”
‘Heartbreaking’
Goedelman described Wednesday’s scenes among residents as heartbreaking.
“They were gathered in the main lecture hall crying,” she said. “I know these people. They’re dedicated. There have always been problems – but never anything like this.”
Magalí Rebollo, senior clinician on one of the hospital’s inpatient wards, this week offered an account of the “unsustainable” conditions faced by professionals at one of Latin America’s leading paediatric institutions.
“A specialist paediatrician working 42 hours a week earns 1.8 million pesos. And the hourly rate for shifts – which are essential to keep the system running – is 6,000 pesos. In other public or private hospitals, it’s between 18,000 and 30,000 [pesos per hour],” Rebollo said in an interview with Radio Rivadavia.
Beyond the figures, Rebollo explained the day-to-day life at the Garrahan.
“I work on a general ward with immunosuppressed oncology patients. These are children aged one, two, three, some have been in hospital for months. Every patient is a universe. Each one is looked after by nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, oncologists, nutritionists, porters, phlebotomists. Keeping all that going every day takes more than willpower – it takes resources,” the doctor stressed.
The Milei government has sought to paint a different picture of the hospital. Among others, Deputy Health Minister Cecilia Loccisano complained on social media that the institute has too many administrative staff and not enough doctors.
Rebollo was unequivocal in her response. “It’s false. Sixty-eight percent of Garrahan staff have direct contact with patients. This isn’t about spreadsheets – it’s a living reality. Every number represents a child, a family,” she said.
Former health minister Adolfo Rubinstein, from the 2015-2019 Mauricio Macri administration, also weighed in on the dispute.
“They’ve manipulated the figures. They say there are more administrators than doctors, but in reality there are around 1,500 nurses, 1,500 residents and 500 doctors. Plus biochemists, support staff and technicians who play vital roles at the hospital,” said Rubinstein, a former doctor at the Hospital Italiano in Buenos Aires.
Responding to claims from President Milei that “Kirchnerite scams” were being targeted at the hospital and “ghost employees” eliminated, Rubinstein sought to draw attention to a wider “structural crisis in Argentina’s public health system.”
The former minister also stressed the strategic importance of Garrahan as a teaching hospital and national referral centre: “It’s a hospital that treats children from across the country, even from families with private health coverage that doesn’t include certain treatments,” he said.
“People still don’t grasp how vital it is,” he concluded.
– TIMES/NA/PERFIL
Comments