Author: Michael G

The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Unfortunately, this definition is far from being a reality in our societies. Instead of embracing the system of health, we live in the system of disease, ruled by a reactive, reductionist and unsustainable model of healthcare. The beautiful noble art and science of medicine is ill. Financial institutions and giant technological corporations are removing the human factor from medicine, transforming people and patients into clients. They are reducing the non-negotiable human right to healthcare to a privilege of a few.

Coming back to the formal definition of health, in the current system of disease very little is taken into account from the social and mental well-being . Today, many people with mental health conditions not only have to deal with the physiopathological aspects of the disorder, but also with the stigma, exclusion and invisibilization from the society.

But there is hope. Medicine is a social science, and GNUHealth is a social project with some technology behind. That feeling of optimism and hope has been reinforced in last week trip to Argentina and their people. In the end, medicine is about people interacting and taking care of people. Is about people before patients. I know them well, because I did my medical career in Argentina.

The Mental Health Hospital has chosen GNUHealth to improve the management of the institution resources, as well as to provide the best medical care for their community, both in outpatient and inpatient settings. Being able to properly identify every person who needs attention, and knowing the socio-sanitary, medical and clinical history in real time will make a big difference in the care of the individual.

The implementation of GNUHealth in this health institution will be lead by Prof. Dr. Fernando Sassetti and the department of public health studies of the University of Entre Ríos in the context of the GNU Health Alliance of Academic and Research Institutions agreement signed with GNU Solidario.

Health is an equilibrium of the inseparable and interconnected physical, social, mental and spiritual domains. Medicine is about taking into consideration and maintaining this body-mind-spirit-environment balance. This holistic approach to medicine is encoded in the genome of every nurse, psychologist, social worker and doctor from the Mental Health Hospital and the Primary care centers I got to know during these years in Entre Ríos, Argentina.

Links / References

Un software Libre para mejorar las políticas de salud: https://www.eldiario.com.ar/253548-un-software-para-mejorar-las-politicas-de-salud/

Hospital Escuela de Salud Mental : http://www.hesm.gob.ar/

Audiovisual institucional Hospital Escuela de Salud Mental: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx08WyfKRIE&t=12s

GNU Health: https://www.gnuhealth.org