Health sector challenges reported in Dominican Republic and Argentina

In the Dominican Republic, community representative Dania J. Polanco Hiraldo has called upon Public Health Minister Víctor Atallah to complete a primary care center in El Burro, Puerto Plata. The project has been stalled for nearly 11 years. The initiative began after Altagracia Polanco donated 1,000 square meters of land in 2013. Following government inaction, the local community formed a committee and began construction using their own resources in 2015.

In Argentina, Health Minister Nicolás Kreplak appeared before the Senate to defend two key government legislative projects: one aimed at creating a state-run pharmaceutical company to lower drug costs, and another to reorganize the health system's integration and state oversight. During the session, opposition members diverted the discussion to criticize the performance of IOMA, citing declines in coverage and services. Kreplak attributed the pressure on IOMA to increased demand resulting from issues with PAMI and changes in private insurance coverage.