Massive “symbolic embrace” of the Hospital de Clínicas in protest against university cuts

This Monday a symbolic embrace was carried out “Jose de San Martin” Clinical Hospitalas a protest against budget cuts and wage arrears affecting workers in the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

Doctors, students, teachers and non-teaching staff from the UBA participated in the action. After the “embrace”, an event was held with the presence of deans and authorities from all the Faculties, the directors of the Hospital de Clínicas, the Lanari Institute and the Roffo Institute, representatives of the unions, among others.

The rector of the UBA asked Javier Milei not to veto the University Financing Law

The rector of the universityRicardo Gelpiread a letter reviewing the reasons that led to the mobilization.

“More than 5 months have passed since the last time we met in this same place in defense of health, public education and scientific research. Unfortunately, we continue in the same critical situation and facing a discouraging outlook.r, given the lack of response from the National Government“, the manager began by saying.

Gelpi celebrated the support for the recent University Financing Act approved by both chambers of the Congress National and assured that, if implemented, “it will provide answers, among other issues, to the salary emergency that teachers and non-teaching staff have been suffering.”

In line with that, he stated that “The situation of our university system is becoming increasingly serious. We have reached a point that is unprecedented in the democratic history of our country.”

In turn, he asked the president Javier Milei that he would not veto the Law, stating that doing so “It would mean vetoing education, health, science, and the future.”

For his part, the general director of the Hospital de Clínicas, Marcelo Melotook the floor and highlighted the importance of the institution. “The Hospital provides assistance to more than 700,000 people annually, more than 15,000 surgeries are performed, and a large part of these patients do not have medical coverage,” he said.

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Marcelo Melo, general director of the Hospital de Clínicas.

He also said that “the Hospital, as well as providing healthcare services, It also has a teaching function and that is why we are trainers of future health professionals.”

Finally, he concluded: “We are here to defend it, and so that the Hospital de Clínicas can continue to fulfill its three fundamental functions: assistance, teaching and research”.

The closing speech was given by the general secretary of the UBA Staff Association (APUBA), Luciano Cagnacciwho referred to the specific difficulties faced by universities: “With the budget that the Government assigned for operating expenses, we have open laboratories, but scientists on the run; open classrooms and students who They cannot attend university because their scholarships have been eliminated due to lack of funding.; an open university, but with teachers and non-teachers whose salaries do not reach the poverty line.”