Former council member of Paraguay's Social Security Institute (IPS), Carlos Pereira, has called for the abolition of the IPS Council, arguing that its current structure hinders effective governance. In an interview with radio 1080 AM, Pereira detailed the institution's internal decision-making chain, from identifying medical needs to final procurement.
According to Pereira, as reported by El Nacional, the process begins with the collection of needs by pathology, then moves to the Health Management office, followed by the Supply and Logistics Management, which drafts tender documents. The fifth step is submission to the Council for approval. He emphasized that any responsibility for irregularities should be assigned individually at each stage: 'If there is to be any responsibility, it is highly personal, and if there is an irregularity, it must be seen at what moment it was done and why.'
Pereira also praised the appointment of the current IPS head, stating, 'The president of the Republic made the best appointment, a person from the medical guild, an upright person with leadership.' He lamented that many proposals within the institution stall due to a lack of continuity or follow-up: 'One proposes things, they are not dealt with, or if they are, they are never concluded, or there is no follow-up, and that is where the alternative solutions lie.'
His remarks have reopened debate on the administrative functioning of the IPS, one of the country's most important public health institutions.