▲ The hospital is called Laura Bonaparte, psychologist and activist during the dictatorship.Photo Page | 12

Stella Calloni

Correspondent

La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, October 6, 2024, p. 19

Buenos Aires., The decision of the Ministry of Health of the far-right government of Javier Milei to close the Licensed Laura Bonaparte national mental health hospital began by eliminating the guards and the hospitalization of patients, which shocked professionals, the population and others. hospitals that are under threat. It coincides with a long and severe public letter that Amnesty International (AI) sent to the president, with strong claims.

In the letter, the organization maintains: We are alarmed by the increase in poverty, that human rights are attacked and also demands the president for leading a violent and intolerant confrontation, typical of authoritarian practices. It warns about the use of hate speech and the danger that measures are taken in the name of security that endanger the population.

Meanwhile, mental health professionals repudiated the government measure and began a protest around the building with an all-night vigil. They were left with hospitalized patients who do not have a similar place to be transferred to.

The hospital is named after Laura Bonaparte, a renowned deceased psychologist, whose husband, Santiago Bruschstein, being sick with a heart condition, was kidnapped from his home in 1976 under the dictatorship, and died at the hands of criminals. Later, their children were also stolen, Noni (end of 1975), Irene and Víctor (in 1977), all missing. Only Laura and her youngest son Luis Bruschstein survived, both exiled in Mexico.

Together with an important group of psychologists, Bonaparte worked in an open-door mental health service in the municipality of Lanús, in the province of Buenos Aires, in a popular neighborhood, directed by the psychiatrist Mauricio Goldemberg, an experience that revolutionized the system, recognized worldwide. She was also an AI observer in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, in the early days of the Sandinista revolution.

It is necessary to know what is also behind this decision, said the journalist, columnist and writer Luis Bruschtein, to The Day. “It is a message not only in the field of health in general, but also political – very evident – ​​on the issue of human rights.” Laura was a member of Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.

Added to this is that the hospital building is historic, dating back to 1889; Since then it has hosted different institutions. In 2012, by resolution of the Ministry of Health, he was assigned to a new mission, within the framework of the National Health Law, with the objective of ensuring the right to protection of mental health and the full enjoyment of human rights of people with mental illness who are in the national territory.

In mid-2016, the name of the institution was changed and it was renamed the Laura Bonaparte National Network Hospital Specialized in Mental Health and Addictions.

It is a definition of the policy of destruction, not only of historical memory, but of public health, which, like education, the government tries to annul. If it is allowed to advance, it goes to all public health hospitalsmaintain the Bonaparte workers, who are going to remain in the building and denied the information from the authorities that there were not enough patients”, when throughout this year, more than 25 thousand people have been served.

Essential service

Likewise, they denounced that the closure of the place would leave without treatment to thousands of mental health patients, including girls, boys and adolescents. They can’t lie to us, it’s not about numbers. This hospital provides an essential service to the entire community and more in this time of crisis.

They also announced that they will remain peaceful in the facilities, and we do not rule out that in the next few hours the actions will increasesaid a union leader of State Workers, pointing out that there are almost 700 jobs. They also warned that They are not going to accept any type of criminalization and judicialization of the protest because we are exercising our legitimate right to work.

On the other hand, the new Minister of Health, Mario Lugones, also requested the resignation of the board of directors of the Garrahan Hospital because, given the government’s indifference to increasing salaries – which are below the minimum necessary –, to save the situation they decided to grant a bonus of 500 thousand pesos to the doctors. Garrahan is the only children’s hospital that performs transplants and treats diseases that cannot be treated elsewhere; It is recognized throughout the region for its high level of complexity.

The staff is highly specialized, so It is a crime to leave this hospital adrift, after so many sacrifices and so many lives saved the workers denounced. They maintain that While freedom is increasingly restricted, the threat of closure of public hospitals is of a cruelty that identifies the current government. They also stated that government measures are destined to destroy and deliver to the country.