La Derecha Diario Garrahan had more staff than Vialidad and ideological committees without any medical function
The government eliminated structures created by Kirchnerism and is moving forward with audits of personnel and expenses
The Garrahan Pediatric Hospital has more than 5,000 employees, a figure similar to that of the National Highway Administration. However, only 300 of them are doctors currently providing care to children. This information was provided by Federico Sturzenegger in a recent interview.
The National Ministry of Health, led by Mario Lugones, implemented a mandatory biometric system to record staff entry. The measure seeks to prevent unjustified absences and verify that human resources are fulfilling real functions. In addition, it allows for cross-referencing data to improve budget allocation.
Meanwhile, the Executive ordered the re-bidding of the hospital's cleaning and security contracts. Both services had been managed by the same company for more than 20 years. For the authorities, it was an opaque fund without state oversight.
Ideological structures funded with public resources
Along with staff and contract oversight, unusual expenses inherited from previous administrations were also revealed. For years, ideological committees were maintained that had nothing to do with medical care. The most evident case was the Gender and Diversity Committee.
This group had dozens of members, including some from non-medical areas, and was dedicated to symbolic activities with no hospital utility. One of its most publicized acts was the inauguration of a red bench in the central courtyard and a mural alluding to gender violence. None of this was related to improving children's health.
Structures such as the "Smoke-Free Hospital Committee" were also funded, whose function could have been solved with a simple sign. In addition, there was a committee of doctors specialized in "gender change," focused on irreversible treatments for minors.
A change of course in the face of waste
Today, the national government has eliminated several of these structures that drained public funds without health results. Lugones himself confirmed that the ideological committees are no longer operational. The decision was supported by Javier Milei, who demands an efficient state.
The reform process doesn't aim to cut for the sake of cutting, but to refocus resources on real pediatric care. Overstaffing and senseless committees were part of a clientelist model that is now beginning to be dismantled. The savings are significant and allow for strengthening critical areas.
Sturzenegger, the driving force behind these reforms, was blunt: when the hospital's funds were touched, protests began. Coincidentally, labor conflicts intensified precisely when the new audits were implemented. For the government, ideological privileges no longer have a place.
sturzenegger explica la extrema burocracia y administrativos que hay en el Hospital Garrahan, a comparación de los pocos médicos
Prioritizing health, not activism
The Garrahan Hospital is a symbol of Argentine pediatric health. In order to remain so, it must focus on what is essential. That is, caring for children, guaranteeing medical care, and ensuring that every peso invested has a concrete health function.
The ongoing administrative rationalization process aims to do just that: eliminate superfluous expenses and professionalize management. Public health can't be an excuse to fund political structures disguised as committees.
Today, Garrahan is once again at the center of the debate. But this time, not for its medical excellence, but for the disorder left by Kirchnerism. With control, transparency, and a vocation for service, the hospital can regain its prestige.
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