Another Day Without Agreement Deepens Tension Between Paraguayan Doctors and Government

The dispute between Paraguay’s public-sector doctors and the government intensified Monday as physicians began submitting resignations and officials rejected their immediate pay demand.

Roberto Riveros, union secretary of the Society of Pediatric Surgeons, said doctors had received no response from the government or the Health Ministry. He said 196 resignations were submitted in the first hours of the day and warned that about 600 specialists nationwide could leave during the week.

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We have received no response from the government or the ministry. So we have nothing left to do at the ministry level, and we came to submit our resignations.

Health Minister María Teresa Barán gave a different figure, saying her office had received 61 resignations. Under Paraguay’s public-service law, the ministry must expressly accept each resignation and has 10 working days to respond.

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We did not reach an agreement on this request for an increase of 3 million guaraníes per contract.

Barán said a meeting with Economy Minister Óscar Lovera, presidential chief of staff Javier Giménez and President Santiago Peña ruled out an immediate response to the doctors’ salary request. The doctors are seeking an increase of 3 million guaraníes, about $508.20, per contract.

The government instead wants to establish a health-care career system that would set doctors’ pay according to academic qualifications. Barán said she believed doctors deserved such a system, while doctors rejected the proposal last week and said a similar plan had remained in Congress for 30 years. Giménez urged them to return to negotiations on a merit-based career plan. The standoff follows a five-day doctors’ strike that began the previous week.

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I believe that is what doctors deserve.