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The former Minister of Health died Ginés González García, at 79 years old, as was known this Friday. Thus he was able to confirm THE NATION from sources close to the former official Alberto Fernandez. González García suffered from a cancer and had been hospitalized for several days in the Callao Surgical Centerin the city of Buenos Aires.
“It is with great sadness that today we say goodbye to a different man, whose life and legacy have marked a before and after in our lives. He was a son, brother, father, grandfather and friend. “His passage through this world left a mark and an imprint that will continue to open paths in each of us.”reads the statement released on his personal account. Instagram as a farewell.
And he adds: “His unwavering conviction for a more just world was a beacon and an example of integrity on an often arduous path. His ability to listen, understand, and guide those around him made us all feel part of something bigger. “He taught us that true leadership is based on service, empathy, collaboration and consensus.”
“Today, as we mourn his passing, we also celebrate his life. We will remember his laughter, his always different look, his ideals for a better Argentina, and his eternal passion for Racing. Thank you Ginés. For being an extraordinary man, the contemporary healthcare worker who changed paradigms and cultivated his loyalty in a unique way. “His memory will live in our hearts and in every step we take towards a more just and supportive world.”close.
The medical center where he was hospitalized released the statement this afternoon confirming the death of the former minister. “We regret to inform that today Dr. Ginés González García died in this sanatorium, as a result of a known long-term illness. He received end-of-life care at this institution, supervised by his primary care professionals,” indicates the text he accessed. THE NATION.
“We regretfully accompany family members and loved ones. “This will be the only statement issued from the sanatorium and has been agreed upon with the patient’s immediate environment.”he adds.
The former Fernández minister was born on August 31, 1945 in San Nicolás de los Arroyos and studied to be a surgeon in the National University of Córdoba. He worked in different public health institutions in Buenos Aires, Salta, La Rioja, Córdoba and San Luis. During the last dictatorship he was exiled in Spain, after being displaced from his position as general director of the National Health System of San Luis, and returned to the country shortly before the return to democracy.
Years later, he was Minister of Health of Buenos Aires for the former governor Antonio Cafiero. González García reached the national front page thanks to Eduardo Duhalde upon assuming leadership of the health portfolio on January 2, 2002, in the midst of the crisis. He remained in office throughout the presidency of Nestor Kirchner.
“I did everything possible to avoid having to summon you. But I need you Ginés. I don’t need you, Argentina needs you, which has fallen ill again with measles, chickenpox, and tuberculosis. There are millions of Argentines who don’t have time. There is no time to learn. “Come and take charge,” had said Alberto Fernandez after being elected president.
Alberto Fernández and Ginés González García during the pandemic.Presidency
He took office on December 10, 2019, after Fernández decided to convert the Ministry of Health of Mauricio Macri in ministry. Shortly after, came the coronavirus pandemic.
Along with his number two, Carla Vizzotti, He was the face of the fight against the pandemic, which left a balance of 130,000 deaths throughout the country and with one of the longest quarantines in the world. Once the news of the “VIP vaccination center”after Horacio Verbitsky told that he had received Sputnik V through the Ministry of Health and at the same headquarters of the health portfolio, Fernández took a series of measures and, among other things, asked Ginés to resign.
Fernán Quirós, Minister of Health of the city of Buenos Aires, Ginés González García, former Minister of Health of the Nation and Carla Vizzotti, then Secretary of Access to Health.Ministry of Health of the Nation
Thus, in a letter addressed to the then president and spread via social networks, González García announced that he accepted the resolution issued by the president and was no longer going to be the leader of the Health portfolio. “I express my gratitude to the vast majority of the Argentine people for their commitment and support for the policies we implemented to rebuild a federal health system, with more equity, access and quality,” he highlighted.
In the communication, Ginés pointed out against Macrista’s management for “dismantle programs” and “leave unpaid debts,” He celebrated the doubling of the budget for health and highlighted the work done to “give a strong boost to the reconstruction of the system.”
It was after this scandal that a court case was initiated in February 2021. Verbitsky’s story motivated several complaints. Many of them were unified in the judge’s file Maria Eugenia Capuchetti who, in the first place, filed the case “due to the lack of crime.” But Sergio Rodriguezthe prosecutor responsible for the Administrative Investigations Attorney’s Office, intervened and the Federal Chamber The case reopened in August 2021. In May 2023, the prosecution requested investigations into those involved.
Ginés González GarcíaSantiago Filipuzzi – Archive
Yesterday the Federal Chamber of Buenos Aires had confirmed his prosecution; He was being investigated for the preferential treatment that some people close to the Fernández government had who received Covid vaccines from the State when it did not correspond to them. The ruling of the Federal Chamber bears the signatures of the judges Pablo Bertuzzi, Leopoldo Bruglia y Mariano Llorens.
The chambermaids reminded the judge that she must “deepen the investigation” and that, as they had already told her, “the process should not be confined to analyzing only the responsibility of the officials involved, but also of those who benefited from this spurious act.” ”.
González García’s death generated commotion in his close circle and fired a series of greetings from Kirchnerism, among them from the former president. Cristina Kirchner. “Today we say goodbye to Ginés González García, prestigious health doctor, Peronist activist and good person. He deserves to rest in peace. “My accompaniment to his family, his friends and colleagues,” Alberto Fernández’s former running mate wrote on her X account.
They also added their messages in X other former Kirchnerism officials, such as the former minister Aníbal Fernández: “Dear friend, You have dedicated your life to thinking about others. “Procer of healthcare.” Teresa Garcia, current senator of the province of Buenos Aires, shared a post on the same social network to say goodbye to González García. “One of the best health professionals, yesterday he was unjustly prosecuted, ingratitude of our past government. “A wonderful companion left,” he wrote.
After 3:30 p.m., former president Alberto Fernández published two posts in ”. Then, he highlighted his work leading the portfolio at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. “His tireless work as minister was key in the fight against Covid-19 and in guaranteeing access to public health for all,” he said.
In his second tweet, Fernández added praise and sent condolences to his former minister’s entourage. “His legacy of commitment and dedication will endure in every Argentine who received care in the most complex moments. Condolences to his family and loved ones at this difficult time,” he published.
For her part, the Buenos Aires legislator Graciela Ocaña, who denounced several former Kirchnerist officials together with the Civic Coalition, was very harsh when referring to the death of the former minister. “He died unpunished. Without having been held accountable before Justice for the crimes committed or for his questionable decisions in the purchase of vaccines during the pandemic, where he prioritized a political criterion over the health one, which caused thousands of deaths of Argentines, being also the head of the Vaccination Center. VIP,” he tweeted.
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