Uses and appropriations of the private health system by Chinese migrants in Argentina

Abstract

This article addresses the forms of appropriation of Chinese migrants regarding the Argentine health system, with an emphasis on the private system in contrast with the public health system. Also, a research stay carried out in the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, made possible to account for the forms of appropriation of the local health system in the country of origin. In sum, here is portrayed a low general appropriation of the local health system by Chinese migrants, both public and private, except in the case of emergencies, prioritizing self-care within the diasporic group. The differentiation in the uses and appropriations of the public and private health system resides in the fact that the former is used primarily for primary prevention actions such as child development and pregnancy controls, as well as for minor ailments. On the contrary, migrants tend to choose the private health system in cases of greater complexity and severity, showing a prioritization of the use of time under a cost-benefit logic.