Ayolas hospital faces medication shortage for respiratory illnesses

Residents seeking treatment for respiratory ailments at the Integrated Hospital in Ayolas, Paraguay, are facing a critical shortage of essential medications. Patients are being prescribed drugs such as ibuprofen and salbutamol, but the hospital's pharmacy is unable to supply them, forcing those with financial means to purchase the medicines from private drugstores.

The situation highlights ongoing deficiencies in the healthcare services provided by the Integrated Hospital. Established in 2016 through the merger of the Regional Hospital of the Social Security Institute (IPS) and the Center for Public Health, the facility was intended to enhance healthcare access for the local population. However, patients report that the integration has not led to substantial improvements in care quality.

Despite the establishment of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the hospital continues to struggle with a lack of specialized medical professionals, including cardiologists. Furthermore, there is a noted absence of staff trained to operate dialysis equipment, a crucial need for critically ill patients in the ICU. One patient, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal, expressed that the merger has essentially consolidated existing shortcomings, leaving patients to bear the brunt of the hospital's deficiencies.

Attempts to obtain comments from the hospital's directors proved difficult. Dr. Elizabeth Achucarro, the IPS director, stated she was in a meeting when contacted by phone. Dr. Abel Fletes, the Ministry of Health director, acknowledged receipt of inquiries but did not provide answers to the questions posed regarding the medication shortages and service deficiencies.