60 Specialist Doctors Resign or Put Their Posts at Risk in Coronel Oviedo

Sixty specialist doctors in Coronel Oviedo are now either resigning or placing their jobs at the authorities’ disposal, exposing the depth of a dispute that did not end when a nationwide health workers’ strike finished on Friday.

At the city’s General Hospital, 30 specialists have already submitted resignations. Another 30 doctors, including pediatricians and neonatologists at the Maternal and Child Hospital, have declared that they are prepared to give up their posts. Those doctors have not yet filed formal resignations.

The resignations at the General Hospital have not been officially accepted, and both hospitals continue to operate. Liz Rotela, a doctors’ union representative, said vacancies are being covered temporarily by other physicians, mainly doctors who normally work in outpatient clinics.

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Each day, more colleagues will resign.

Rotela said the immediate services have not yet been affected, but warned that the situation could worsen if authorities fail to address workers’ demands. “Each day, more colleagues will resign,” she said, describing the current situation as unsustainable.

The dispute also reflects the practical strain on specialists who travel to Coronel Oviedo from Encarnación, Ciudad del Este and Asunción. Rotela asked the public to understand the costs involved in those journeys and the difficulty of maintaining the arrangement as living expenses rise. She also said shortages of medical supplies and other deficiencies have persisted for years, affecting the conditions in which doctors work.

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Some say it is only 12 hours.