During the debate on the pediatric emergency in committee, PRO Senator Carmen Álvarez Rivero from Córdoba made statements that sparked controversy. In the midst of her intervention, she raised the need to reorganize the health system and called for strengthening care in the provinces. In that context, she expressed a phrase that was interpreted as a challenge to the role of Hospital Garrahan.
The senator stated that "health is managed at the provincial level" and that the healthcare system is in a critical situation. After detailing the provincial difficulties, she requested that the Córdoba Academy of Medicine be granted national status to streamline external relations. She then added: "I don't believe that Argentine children have the right to come to Garrahan to be treated."
Her words triggered an immediate reaction in the committee, where several legislators replied. Minutes later, Álvarez Rivero asserted that she was "misinterpreted" and that her intention had not been to exclude any patient. "Because the children who undergo surgery at Garrahan have nothing to do with this discussion, of course," she clarified.
Position on the National University of Córdoba
In the same meeting, the senator also addressed the debate on the university budget and expressed her opposition to the project under discussion. She recalled that the National University of Córdoba is the oldest in the country, but warned that she doesn't support the initiative to increase its funding. "The University of Córdoba, as it stands, is a fraud for the people of Córdoba," she stated.
Álvarez Rivero indicated that UNC has few graduates in relation to its enrollment and questioned what she considered to be ineffective management. She pointed out that the problem is structural and that additional funding would not solve the situation. In that regard, she emphasized the need to thoroughly review the university's internal operations before allocating more resources.
Finally, she insisted that she will not support the proposal seeking to update the budget and restore salaries in the university system. For the senator, the main challenge is for the UNC to effectively fulfill the academic objectives that justify its history and relevance. At the same time, she considered that Congress should evaluate alternatives that ensure greater efficiency in the use of public funds.
