The supply crisis at the Social Security Institute (IPS) has worsened in recent days, with reports of patients having to purchase basic medicines and supplies on their own. The problem, which is already chronic, has led the board to announce a contingency plan and a drastic revision of the institutional formulary.
IPS President Isaías Fretes, who took office on April 22 after the resignation of Jorge Brítez, confirmed the removal of nearly a thousand items (including medicines and supplies) that were on the purchasing records. According to Fretes, these products were acquired “haphazardly,” without real or efficient use in medical practice. The measure, called a “pruning,” aims to optimize resources and ensure the supply of essential medicines, with technical support from medical societies.
While structural changes are being planned, the IPS faces an immediate urgency: about 225 medicines are at critical shortage levels. Health Manager Derlis León estimated that within three weeks it will be possible to stabilize the replenishment of at least 60 priority items. Meanwhile, the Department of Medical Supply Administration, led by Marta Flor, has begun distributing emergency batches from the Sanitary Park to peripheral clinics in Yrendagué, Zeballos Cué, Piquete Cué, Villa Hayes, and Benjamín Aceval, in the Chaco. The schedule also includes Ciudad del Este, Villarrica, Tebicuary, and neighboring localities.
Among the distributed medicines are Prednisone, Carvedilol, Folic acid, Levosulpiride, Salmeterol plus fluticasone, oral rehydration salts, Oseltamivir, Diosmin, Pregabalin, and Tramadol. Despite the efforts, patients with chronic diseases continue to face empty shelves and turn to private pharmacies to obtain items such as psychotropic drugs, painkillers, and gastric protectors.
The situation has sparked public debate: while Fretes defends the “pruning” as necessary for the system's sustainability, many beneficiaries fear that reducing the formulary represents a setback in rights. The outcry in hospital corridors is unanimous: “We pay, but we get nothing in return,” according to patient accounts.