Doctors and anesthesiologists submit mass resignations as Paraguay’s public health system faces crisis

Doctors and anesthesiologists in Paraguay’s public hospitals have formally submitted their resignations to the Ministry of Public Health in large numbers. ABC Color presents the move as the latest sign of what it calls the “historic” deterioration of the country’s health system under President Santiago Peña’s government.

The article sharply criticizes Peña and the health minister, accusing them of dismissing doctors’ demands. It says the authorities are trying to split the group and stop another strike planned for Sept. 21 and 22. The piece also mocks government supporters who previously ridiculed the doctors’ position and asks whether they will now accept the description “mass resignations.”

ABC Color describes the situation as a “true catastrophe” and compares the effort to control the public narrative with practices attributed to the Stroessner era. It also refers to a meeting of Peña’s inner circle, where health and other issues described as close to exploding were allegedly discussed.

The article then turns to a 25-page report from Paraguay’s Central Bank, saying the government and its allies no longer know how to conceal problems that are becoming visible. It notes that lawmakers aligned with the ruling movement requested information from the Central Bank about the “friendly bank,” and suggests this could reflect internal concern or an attempt to shield the party’s governing board.

It also attacks an idea reportedly advanced through the National Directorate of Tax Revenues to increase taxes on a popular medicine. The article contrasts that proposal with what it says is a lack of comparable taxation on tobacco, a product that harms health, while the medicine benefits it. Finally, it demands clarification over what happened to Hugo Javier, saying the explanation of an accidental fall is unconvincing.