Kicillof has spent more than one trillion pesos (2.2 billion dollars) on gender policies so far in 2024

Amid complaints from kirchnerismo regarding the funding of Hospital Garrahan, another news story has come to light that once again exposes its enormous double standard.

So far this year, the ultra-kirchnerista governor Axel Kicillof has allocated more than 1.4 trillion pesos (3.09 billion pounds) to gender policies, an amount that starkly contrasts with the defunding his administration applies to critical areas such as healthcare.

While hospitals managed jointly with the national government, and Garrahan, are demanding unpaid debts, the kirchnerista government prioritizes an ideological agenda that, far from improving essential services, consumes resources the healthcare system urgently needs after decades of kirchnerista populism.

The most symbolic case is that of Hospital Garrahan, to which the provincial health insurance IOMA, controlled by Kicillof's administration, owes more than 4 billion pesos (8.82 million pounds). The figure is alarming when compared to the funds allocated to programs and structures related to gender, diversity, and ideological activism within the State.

The Secretary of Worship and Civilization, Nahuel Sotelo, exposed a situation that highlights the contradiction between the discourse and the practice of the Buenos Aires government led by the ultra-kirchnerista Axel Kicillof.

In an interview on Neura, Sotelo revealed that the province of Buenos Aires has debts amounting to millions with hospitals managed jointly with the national government, including Hospital Garrahan, while kirchnerismo raises slogans in defense of public health.

"The Instituto de Obra Médico Asistencial (the health insurance of the province of Buenos Aires, managed by Kicillof) owes 4 billion pesos (8.82 million pounds) to Garrahan," Sotelo denounced in statements to Neura.

"Then they raise the flag of health," the official said ironically, highlighting the inconsistency between the kirchnerista narrative and the commitments made, and not fulfilled, with the healthcare system.

Garrahan, a leading pediatric hospital at the national and regional level, has been experiencing a complex crisis for several years due to staff shortages, low salaries, and lack of supplies. Meanwhile, Javier Milei's government is seeking to solve the situation, and the debt maintained by the Buenos Aires government further worsens the outlook.

However, Sotelo's criticism was not limited to Garrahan. He also targeted hospitals managed jointly by the national and provincial governments. "The province of Buenos Aires has five hospitals managed jointly with the national government: Cañuelas, two in La Matanza, one in Florencio Varela, and another in Esteban Echeverría. To those five hospitals, Kicillof's government owes 149 billion pesos (328.49 million pounds)," he stated.

The situation is especially relevant considering that all these hospitals are located in the third electoral section, a historic stronghold of Peronism. These are areas where the population most needs a strong and high-quality healthcare system. The lack of payments from the kirchnerista governor not only compromises the operational functioning of these centers, but also reflects a dangerous political prioritization over social well-being.