Paraguay’s Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare, Isaías Fretes, made his second “Taguato” inspection visit to San Lorenzo General Hospital, known as Calle’i, and pointed to staff shortages and problems in the laboratory. The surprise inspection came after he announced he would resume this type of visit to public hospitals to check services directly.
“We have the diagnosis here: there aren’t enough people. The problem here is also the laboratory,” Fretes said. The emergency department receives between 250 and 280 people per shift. Reports also cite capacity to process about 800 samples during the morning shift, without detailing the origin or date of that figure.
The minister toured the laboratory, pre-surgical preparation, general and pediatric emergency departments, inpatient care, adult and neonatal intensive care, diagnostic imaging, and gynecology and obstetrics. The hospital offers digital X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, MRI scans, and mammograms. Fretes was accompanied by Deputy Minister for Comprehensive Care Saúl Recalde, the hospital’s director-general, Sofía Ramos, and its medical director, Fernando Rufinelli.
In a discussion about requests for tests considered unnecessary, a doctor said they account for as much as 50% of her daily practice. That percentage is an individual estimate, not a figure presented for the hospital or the health system. Fretes advocated clinical protocols and audits and said professionals without adequate training should be removed from the system before being sent to training courses.
In response to the wait for care, the minister proposed considering an app to organize appointments and reduce waiting times, as well as strengthening Family Health Units, which provide primary care and could help ease the burden on the hospital. Implementation would depend on checking whether the financial conditions allow it. “This involves a cost, and we will assess whether we are in a position to do it,” he said.
The staffing situation comes amid earlier pressures on the hospital: in September, 20 of the 30 neonatologists reportedly submitted resignations over demands related to pay, working conditions, and supplies. In June, hospital management acknowledged temporary supply difficulties but ruled out a structural crisis.