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Doctors demand fair wages and supplies amid strike, citing economic disconnect
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Economy & Trade

Doctors demand fair wages and supplies amid strike, citing economic disconnect

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Paraguayan doctors are on strike nationwide, demanding better pay and essential medical supplies.
  • They highlight a disconnect between the country's reported economic growth and their stagnant wages, which have not increased in over a decade.
  • Doctors also report personal expenses for fuel, vehicle maintenance, and even internet for their clinics, underscoring a lack of resources.

Doctors in Paraguay's Ciudad del Este Regional Hospital have joined a national strike, protesting stagnant wages and a critical lack of medicines and supplies. They argue that the government's narrative of economic prosperity does not translate into tangible benefits for citizens, particularly healthcare professionals.

Our salary has not been modified for more than 10 years, and we have seen it lose value in the market. We see a permanent discourse of economic growth and prosperity, but it is not reflected in the citizens' pockets.

— Dr. José GuerreroExplaining the disconnect between national economic claims and the reality of healthcare workers' compensation.

Dr. José Guerrero expressed frustration over the necessity of the strike, noting that doctors are not receiving legally mandated double pay for holiday work. He emphasized that their salaries have lost value over the past decade, despite claims of national economic growth. Guerrero also challenged the notion that doctors should work solely out of "vocation," pointing out their own financial obligations.

The doctor also has needs.

— Dr. José GuerreroChallenging the perception that doctors should prioritize vocation over fair compensation.

The situation is particularly dire for primary care physicians. Guerrero described how these doctors often use their personal vehicles and fuel for home visits and even cover repairs for their clinics, as there are no allocated budgets for such necessities. They sometimes even pay for internet access to keep their facilities operational.

If I make a home visit to a person, I have to go with my vehicle, with my fuel. If there is a breakdown in my family health unit, we do not have an assigned budget for electrical repairs, plumbing. So, we sometimes have to contribute for internet, contribute for the cleaning lady.

— Dr. José GuerreroDescribing the personal expenses primary care physicians incur for their work.

Dr. Diego Ruiz Díaz highlighted the long-standing nature of these demands and the precarious conditions at the Regional Hospital. The lack of basic supplies and medicines directly impedes their ability to provide care, leading to significant delays in scheduled surgeries, sometimes by months. Patients seeking consultations were turned away, with only emergency services remaining operational during the strike.

Many times, their scheduled surgeries are delayed by one, two, three months. Why? Because there are no beds or infrastructure.

— Dr. Diego Ruiz DíazDetailing the impact of resource shortages on surgical waiting times.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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