In a reflection published by Noticias CDE on International Nursing Day, journalist Carlos Roa underscores the indispensable yet often invisible role of nurses in Paraguay's strained healthcare system. The piece describes how nursing is frequently reduced to basic tasks or viewed with prejudice, but in reality, nurses accompany patients at every stage, monitor their progress, and silently sustain hope in hospital corridors.
According to the article, Paraguayan nurses become 'miracle workers' in a context of limited resources and adverse working conditions. They creatively compensate for supply shortages, organize care, and provide emotional support to families facing illness. Their role is often more intimate and humane than that of doctors, who may maintain a hierarchical distance. Nurses, by contrast, deliver care with humility and vocation, without expecting recognition.
The reflection portrays nurses as a bridge: between patient and doctor, between family and the health system. They translate diagnoses, explain treatments, and hold the hands of those who suffer. In Paraguay, where precarity is the norm, nursing becomes the true engine of healthcare. Recognizing their work is not only an act of justice but also a call to value the profession as an essential piece without which medicine cannot fulfill its human purpose.