Cancer patients and their families took to the streets again on Sunday to denounce the shortage of essential drugs for the disease and to demand that the government comply with court rulings ordering the provision of high-cost medications.
The protesters stated that several patients have already obtained favorable court injunctions, with clear orders for the state to guarantee access to treatments. Despite this, they claim that the rulings are not being enforced with the necessary urgency — or are simply being ignored.
The situation particularly affects patients who depend on continuous therapies to control the progression of the disease. According to their accounts, interruptions in the supply of medications create uncertainty, delay treatment regimens, and can seriously compromise the chances of recovery.
Those affected argue that behind every delay there are people facing complex diagnoses whose outcome depends on receiving medications in a timely manner. For this reason, they demanded an immediate response from health authorities and a structural solution to prevent these episodes from recurring.
The shortage of cancer drugs has become one of the main concerns of Paraguay's public health system in recent years. Patient organizations have repeatedly warned about delays in the procurement, bidding, and distribution of specialized medications, a situation that periodically leads to legal action to secure treatments.
The protesters questioned the fact that patients have to resort to the courts to access therapies they consider a basic right. In their view, compliance with court injunctions should not depend on protests or pressure tactics, but should be part of an automatic response by the health system.
The problem takes on even more sensitive contours given the sustained increase in cancer cases in Paraguay and the growing demand for cutting-edge medications, many of which come at high costs and depend on complex procurement processes.
While awaiting concrete responses, patients and their families warned that they will continue with mobilizations and advocacy actions. The message points to a central issue: behind every court case and every missing medication, there are people whose health and life expectancy depend on treatments arriving without interruption.