Paraguay's National Hospital of Itauguá in Crisis: Two Years After Presidential Visit, Patients Face Extreme Hardship Amidst Shortages and Decay

The National Hospital of Itauguá (HNI) in Paraguay is in a critical state, marked by extreme shortages of essential medicines and supplies, coupled with severe infrastructure decay. Patients and their families are enduring immense hardship, forced to purchase basic medical necessities out-of-pocket due to constant stockouts. This dire situation stands in stark contrast to the promises of immediate improvements made by President Santiago Peña and First Lady Leticia Ocampos during a visit two years prior. The hospital's facilities are visibly crumbling, with exposed pillars, damaged walls, and non-functional elevators. Hallways are cluttered with obsolete machinery, creating breeding grounds for pests like mosquitoes and cockroaches, while inadequate lighting further exacerbates the dismal environment. The presence of stray dogs and cats in the corridors adds to the unsanitary conditions. Families report having to rely on foundations for medications like vancomycin, which are unavailable at the hospital's pharmacy. Relatives of patients have voiced outrage, calling the situation a "disgrace" and criticizing the government's failure to address the deplorable conditions, which include widespread insect infestations and a lack of basic medical supplies.

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Supposedly President Santiago Peña and his wife came to cry, but they lacked tears and are hypocrites. The building is falling apart, it's full of flies and cockroaches. There's a lack of supplies and that is outrageous.