The president of Paraguay's social security institute, IPS, Isaías Fretes, encountered a scene of neglect and possible irregularities during an inspection of the Central Hospital's storage areas. Upon opening a container where he expected to find high-value surgical equipment, Fretes found only metal modules, which led him to comment, ironically, that the situation "was a joke for the Videomatch TV show." Staff present explained that the structures were partitions for the seventh floor, part of a stalled project.
The technical visit revealed a series of multi-million dollar unused purchases, including solar panels acquired for approximately G. 8 billion, whose usefulness for the hospital was questioned by the president. Materials for an electrical substation, such as high-voltage cables valued at G. 800 thousand per meter, were also found stored in the open air, with indications that some may have been stolen, as they do not match the official inventory.
The equipment, with a total value of approximately $20 million, was supplied by the company Neighpart S.A. starting in 2022, through bidding processes carried out during the previous administrations of Andrés Gubetich and Vicente Bataglia. IPS has already paid G. 46.3 billion to the supplier, but the projects for which the materials were intended, such as the modernization of the surgical block, were never completed due to structural problems and a lack of planning.
In light of the findings, Fretes announced the opening of internal and external audits to investigate the alleged damage to public assets. The IPS board is also expected to file complaints with the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate criminal and civil liabilities. Simultaneously, the institution is considering an agreement with Paraguay's state electricity utility, ANDE, to try to recover part of the investment by handing over the unused cables in exchange for payment of electricity bills.