Argentina medical workforce regional disparities

Reports indicate significant geographic inequalities regarding medical professional distribution across Argentina. Data from the Argentine Society of Rheumatology (SAR) highlights a critical shortage of pediatric rheumatologists, noting that only 14 provinces and the City of Buenos Aires have resident specialists. A census revealed that 58.1% of children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases lack local access to these specialists, with 62.9% required to travel over 100 kilometers for care.

Broader data from the National Ministry of Health’s Federal Observatory of Human Talent in Health (OFETHuS) confirms these regional imbalances. While the national average of 41.8 active doctors per 10,000 inhabitants exceeds World Health Organization recommendations, density varies sharply by location. The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires reports the highest density at 156.2 per 10,000 inhabitants, while Santiago del Estero reports the lowest at 17.9 per 10,000. In the Northwest region, even the highest density area, Tucumán, remains below the national average.

In the province of Entre Ríos, the shortage of pediatricians is intensifying. Anabela Collazo, president of the Río Paraná regional branch of the Argentine Pediatric Society (SAP), reported a “significant decline” in the number of residents entering pediatric training programs, with some institutions facing unfilled residency vacancies. This trend threatens the replacement of specialists in pediatrics, neonatology, and pediatric intensive care. Professionals attribute the crisis to low salaries, high workloads, and payment issues with health insurance providers (obras sociales), noting that the shortage is most acute in rural areas where the loss of a single specialist can disrupt hospital shifts and jeopardize continuity of care.