Paraguay's Social Security Institute (IPS) is facing a multifaceted crisis, with a mass exodus of specialist doctors due to low salaries and a change in its board leadership. The IPS Health Manager, Dr. Derlis León, stated that the institution suffers from a critical deficit in specialties such as endocrinology, neurosurgery, rheumatology. According to him, a specialist doctor in the private sector can earn in one week the equivalent of a month's salary at IPS, where a neurosurgeon receives about G. 3.8 million net.
Meanwhile, President Santiago Peña appointed Ramón Zarza Pintos, former Deputy Minister of Finance, as a new full member of the IPS Board of Directors. The appointment, formalized by Decree No. 6580 of August 17, follows the resignation of Bettina Silvana Albertini Alonso, who remained in the position for only six months. This is the second change on the board in less than a year, following the departure of Carlos Pereira.
In parallel, the Senate is set to analyze a bill declaring a state of emergency at IPS to address the lack of medicines, infrastructure problems, and staff shortages. However, Senator Colym Soroka expressed skepticism, arguing that the measure will be ineffective if it does not combat corruption and evasion of contributions, which he said are the underlying problems. Soroka was emphatic in rejecting the issuance of bonds to pay off overdue debts, stating that this would only benefit pharmaceutical companies.
In contrast to the crisis at IPS, the Minister of Public Health, María Teresa Barán, highlighted in an interview with state television the infrastructure legacy of the Peña government. She listed the construction of seven new hospitals, including units in Concepción, Curuguaty, and the Chaco, with inaugurations scheduled between August and December 2027. Barán also emphasized the decentralization of health services, noting that more than 3,000 cancer patients have already been treated in Concepción this year, avoiding trips to Asunción.
Internally, the IPS Council itself debated the critical situation of the institution's real estate assets. A technical report exposed litigation, unpaid rents, and administrative problems in high-value properties, such as the Villa Francia subdivision in Asunción and the Cantegril condominium in San Bernardino. IPS President Isaías Fretes criticized the resistance of occupants who are seeking through the courts to avoid updating rental values, which harms the pension fund's finances.