IPS president Isaías Fretes delivered a stark assessment of Paraguay's social security situation during a visit to care centers in the Chaco. Speaking to the press, he admitted that a lack of money and administrative bottlenecks have paralyzed the purchase of basic supplies.
“On the medicines front, we are in bad shape,” Fretes said. “We are in bad shape because they let things fall apart, and there is a bureaucratic-administrative process that prevents us from changing this overnight.”
The IPS head revealed that the institution is hamstrung by current legislation, which imposes procurement procedures incompatible with the urgency of patients. “The law forces us to act within a process, otherwise we will end up being sued,” he explained.
The most forceful moment of the interview came when Fretes turned to Guaraní to describe the financial reality: “Ore mboriahu” (we are poor). “Never before has the IPS reached this point where we have no money to speed up processes,” he declared.
To try to overcome the crisis, the presidency has convened a special economic team to carry out a deep reengineering of the financial structure. “The insured should not have to pay the price for poor administrations,” Fretes stated.
Board member representing the Ministry of Health, Jimmy Jiménez, quantified the problem by acknowledging critical budget limitations and structural failures in the supply chain. “We need a significant financial injection to get out of this quagmire and also more agile administrative processes,” he admitted.
During the visit to the Villa Hayes Health Post, Fretes announced the implementation of Saturday services. Health manager Derlis León confirmed that the center will begin operating this Saturday with a staggered schedule: initially until 1 p.m., with the goal of progressively extending service until 7 p.m. “People also get sick on Saturdays. Illness does not choose a day,” the IPS president said.
Despite the announcement, Fretes acknowledged the weariness of the word “patience” among insured members who face long lines and medicine shortages. “I know it is an unpleasant word, patience, because they are tired of hearing the word patience, but we will move as quickly as possible,” he said.