Paraguayan Doctors Strike for Five Days Over Collapsing Public Health System
Paraguayan doctors began a five-day national strike on Monday, demanding better pay, more staff, and supplies amid a deepening public health crisis.
Thousands of Paraguayan doctors took to the streets of Asunción on Monday, launching a five-day national strike to protest the deteriorating state of the country's public healthcare system. The demonstration, which began outside the capital's cathedral, saw a sea of white coats and Paraguayan flags as medical professionals marched towards the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economy.
The industrial action is driven by a list of long-standing grievances. The National Union of Physicians (Sinamed) says doctors' salaries have been frozen since 2012. Beyond pay, the union is demanding the immediate hiring of more doctors and the provision of essential medical supplies, which they argue are critically lacking.
"We are holding a national doctors' strike for better working conditions, which means hiring more doctors," said Dr. Rossana González, Secretary General of Sinamed, who led the march. "We want to be provided with the necessary supplies to work and readjust our salaries, which have been frozen since 2012."
Protesters carried signs reading "We need more doctors," "We have no medicines," and "No Paraguayan should die for being poor." They also staged a performance simulating the death of a critical patient due to inadequate care, highlighting the human cost of the crisis. Chants directed at Health Minister María Teresa Barán Wasilchuk included calls for her resignation.
The strike has severely curtailed services in the public network, which comprises around 1,500 health centers nationwide. While emergency and critical care shifts will be maintained, outpatient consultations and elective surgeries have been suspended. The union has warned that the strike could be extended indefinitely if no agreement is reached with the government.
The action comes against a backdrop of a system under immense strain. Official data indicates that 70% of Paraguay's population relies on public healthcare, a figure that underscores the widespread impact of the strike. The crisis is compounded by chronic underfunding, with public health spending hovering around 4% of GDP, below the 6% minimum recommended by the Pan American Health Organization to ensure universal coverage.
While the union is calling for a meeting with Health Minister Barán Wasilchuk and Economy Minister Óscar Lovera, the Ministry of Health's Director General of Health Services, Gustavo Ortiz, stated that regular talks are held with professionals to reach a quick solution.