Health and Social Welfare Minister María Teresa Barán announced on Tuesday that the government plans to expand and strengthen the Family Health Unit (USF) in the Arroyo Porá neighborhood of the Cambyretá district, with the aim of converting it into a 24-hour service with an inpatient area for mild pathologies.
The statements were made during a visit to the unit, where the minister checked the operation of the service, currently operating with extended hours. “We took this opportunity to come to this Family Health Unit, which already operates with extended hours. But we believe that at some point it could operate 24 hours and have an inpatient ward,” Barán said.
The minister explained that she is already in talks with the municipal mayor, regional authorities, and representatives of the Yacyretá Binational Entity to advance a comprehensive expansion project for the facility. “We will work on a project to transform this unit into an expanded USF. There is political will on the part of the entity’s director, and we will move forward with the complete maintenance of the building and the construction of the inpatient area,” she said.
Barán highlighted that the population growth of Arroyo Porá requires strengthening health services in the region, as the USF currently covers a much larger population than initially planned. “Although the catchment area is 5,000 inhabitants, today there are more than 20,000 people living here, spread across more than 15 neighborhoods and two resettlements,” she stated.
The health minister explained that the future expansion will allow for the admission of patients with mild conditions that do not necessarily need to be referred to the Hospital del Sur. “Cases such as dehydration, mild diabetic decompensation, or obstructive crises that require observation and completion of treatment can be treated here,” she detailed.
She also stressed that strengthening the USF will help relieve the Hospital del Sur, referring only the most complex cases. “The important thing is that patients can resolve their health problems here and that only cases that cannot be resolved are referred to the hospital,” she argued.
Finally, the minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continue expanding universal access to health services in different parts of the Itapúa department. “We want to continue strengthening this service and hope that in the short term we can achieve this important advance for Arroyo Porá,” she concluded.