Public sector doctors began a national strike on Monday that will extend until Friday, in protest against the lack of salary adjustments and precarious working conditions. The work stoppage, called by the National Union of Doctors (Sinamed), affects around 1,500 health centers across the country, with the suspension of outpatient consultations and scheduled surgeries, but maintains essential services such as emergencies, intensive care, and dialysis.
The professionals are demanding the recovery of purchasing power lost since 2012, when the base salary was equivalent to 2.8 minimum wages, compared to 1.5 currently. Sinamed demands an adjustment that raises the base to about 8.9 million guaranis monthly for a 12-hour weekly contract, plus the regulation of precarious contracts—of the 11,000 doctors in the public system, 9,000 are contractors, many with over ten years in the same condition. They are also requesting double pay for holidays worked and the replenishment of medicines and supplies.
Since early morning, thousands of doctors gathered at the old Metropolitan Seminary in Asunción, from where they departed in a caravan towards the Ministry of Public Health. The march continued to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, where protesters demanded answers from authorities. The general secretary of Sinamed, Rossana González, warned that if there is no dialogue, the movement could become indefinite. "We will not put patients' lives at risk, but we need concrete solutions," she said.
The Social Security Institute (IPS) reported that its services will operate normally during the strike, although doctors from the institution support their colleagues from the Ministry of Health. At the IPS Central Hospital, patients reported difficulties obtaining medicines, such as an oncology drug whose supply has been irregular for a month. The IPS Medical Association acknowledges that its professionals face similar or worse conditions but chose not to join the strike to avoid harm to beneficiaries.
Health Minister María Teresa Barán stated that the government cannot meet the salary demands due to a lack of resources, estimating an impact of up to 150 million dollars on the budget. Barán advocated for the creation of a health career that differentiates salaries by specialization, instead of a single base for all doctors. Meanwhile, professionals in the interior denounce that the lack of supplies and infrastructure forces patients to bear additional costs, such as medicines and transportation.
In Ciudad del Este, doctors from the Regional Hospital criticized the disconnect between the discourse of economic growth and the reality of professionals, who bear expenses such as fuel and maintenance of health units. In Guairá, more than a hundred doctors traveled to Asunción to protest, while colleagues who remained ensured the continuity of essential services. "We juggle to keep the system running," summarized a doctor from the region.