Video: Doctors denounce rally priority over ambulances denied to patients

Doctors participating in a national strike have captured video footage of a large convoy of ambulances from the Servicio de Emergencias Médicas Extrahospitalarias (SEME) en route to cover the Rally del Paraguay 2026. This display has ignited anger among the striking medical professionals, who claim that patients in public hospitals often wait for hours for transfers to the capital due to a shortage of available vehicles.

The footage, shared by the doctors themselves, shows the line of SEME vehicles traveling along Route PY06 near Arroyo Porá. The medical staff expressed frustration and rage, contrasting the visible resources for the rally with the stark reality at the General Hospital of Encarnación and other regional health centers. They described situations where children and adults must wait on gurneys for transfers to Asunción because adequate transport or specialized surgeons are unavailable in their areas.

One doctor, speaking from the protest site, stated that the deployment demonstrates that resources do exist when there is political will. "Look at the parade of ambulances. But this is not for our patients, it's to secure the rally. For the children, there are no supplies or vehicles, but for the rally, there are. Enough of the people's money being misused," she asserted. Another viral video captured a professional lamenting her inability to transfer a patient needing cardiac surgery, only to be told by SEME that no ambulances were available because they were assigned to the rally.

Authorities, however, defended the extensive ambulance deployment. They explained that the operational standard adheres to the strict safety requirements mandated by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) for extreme risk events. Given the high-speed nature of the competition, with stages in isolated areas and large crowds along the dirt roads, international protocol necessitates a contingency scheme capable of simultaneously responding to potential mass-casualty accidents.

The special operation for the Rally in Itapúa involves a contingent of 44 ambulances, 35 of which are designated for support, according to official data from the Ministry of Public Health.

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Look at the parade of ambulances. But this is not for our patients, it's to secure the rally. For the children, there are no supplies or vehicles, but for the rally, there are. Enough of the people's money being misused.