In the latest escalation of the Argentine University Financing Law Dispute, the University of Buenos Aires confirmed on May 5 that no funds from the 2026 Budget for its hospitals' operating expenses have been transferred, denying the national government's claims. This follows earlier demands for law implementation and endangers healthcare for over 700,000 patients annually.
The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) issued a statement on May 5, 2026, directly responding to the Ministry of Capital Humano—led by Sandra Pettovello—which had accused the UBA of seeking to "appropriate" health budget funds and deemed its demands "inadmissible".
The UBA confirmed that “no single peso” from the 2026 Budget allocation specifically for university hospitals' operating expenses has been transferred. This comes amid the broader Argentine University Financing Law Dispute, following the UBA Superior Council's March 11 unanimous demand for implementation of the 2025-approved University Education Financing and Salary Recomposition Law (veto rejected), which remains stalled despite judicial orders.
University officials highlighted that the ministry admits the funds “have not yet been assigned or transferred,” validating their position. The allocation targets institutions with hospitals like UBA, Córdoba, Cuyo, and La Rioja, with distribution requested via objective criteria such as size and complexity.
This intensifies prior complaints of real 2026 budget cuts affecting UBA's hospitals, which treat over 700,000 patients yearly. Directors from Hospital de Clínicas, Instituto Roffo, and Instituto Lanari reported daily impacts on operations, healthcare, medical training, and research. “We will continue defending the normal functioning of university hospitals,” UBA authorities affirmed.
