IPS Central Hospital faces critical doctor and nurse shortage, says medical director

Paraguay's Institute of Social Security (IPS) Central Hospital is grappling with a critical shortage of medical professionals, compounding existing issues of scarce medicines and supplies. The deficit affects the daily care of over 10,000 individuals who rely on the institution.

Dr. Osvaldo Alvarenga, the hospital's medical director, detailed the crisis, attributing it to a mass exodus of specialized doctors seeking higher salaries in the private sector. Compounding the problem is a new policy reducing the working hours of current staff, creating vacancies that are not being filled. "We need 1,000 new contracts just to compensate for the reduction in hours," Alvarenga stated, emphasizing the scale of the staffing gap.

The disparity in compensation is stark. A specialist doctor at IPS earns approximately G. 4,000,000 to G. 4,200,000 after deductions. In contrast, a single procedure in the private sector can yield a similar amount, while IPS specialists are expected to work 12-hour shifts for extended periods. "An endoscopist, a specialist, an endoscopist, to name one type of specialty, or a neurosurgeon, whatever it may be, earns that much in a procedure in the private sector, and here they have to be on duty for 12 hours for four or even five weeks a month," Alvarenga explained.

The shortage extends to nursing staff, with an estimated deficit of 600 nurses. Alvarenga described the overwhelming workload, noting that nurses in critical care units, who should ideally attend to two patients, are managing five or six. In some areas, nurses responsible for six patients are caring for ten to twelve. This situation creates immense pressure on the remaining staff and compromises patient care quality.