Patients at the Regional Hospital of Caacupé and health units in the Cabañas and Daniel Escurra districts, in the department of Cordillera, report that for over a month they have been unable to obtain amlodipine, an essential medication for treating hypertension. Enalapril, another continuous-use drug for blood pressure control, is also lacking.
Ramona Martínez, a resident of Cabañas, said she has gone three times to the community's Family Health Unit and the Regional Hospital but did not get amlodipine. “They say they receive very little and it runs out quickly. So far there has been no restocking,” she lamented.
Gerónimo González, from the Daniel Escurra district, stated that he also cannot access enalapril or amlodipine, despite the permanent need for both to control his blood pressure.
The director of the Regional Hospital of Caacupé, Hugo Cantero, confirmed that he has not yet received restocking of the missing medications. “We have not yet received restocking. The Parque Sanitario manages this data,” he declared.
Last week, the director of the Third Health Region, Dr. Luis Gómez, had informed that restocking was expected in the coming days, but so far the drugs have not arrived.
The supply shortage exposes the weaknesses of the public health system in Cordillera, where patients must travel between hospitals and health units in search of basic medicines that should be guaranteed by the state. The situation generates concern and criticism, without a clear explanation for the delay or a concrete date for normalizing supply.