Paraguay health workers strike over wages and supplies

Paraguayan doctors confirmed a five‑day strike from 24 to 28 August, halting scheduled consultations and surgeries in public hospitals. Their union, Sinamed, demands a salary rise to roughly 8 million guaraníes (about $1,320) per month, double pay for holiday work, conversion of long‑term contract workers to stable positions, and urgent upgrades to hospital infrastructure and supplies. A follow‑up meeting with the Ministry of Health was scheduled for 4 August to seek a concrete response.

At the same time, nurses gathered outside the Ministry of Health in Asunción, urging President Santiago Peña’s government to increase the national budget for health, hire additional staff, regularise temporary contracts and guarantee a steady supply of medical materials. Their association met with Health Minister María Teresa Barán before marching toward the Ministry of Economy and Finance to press for budgetary commitments for 2027. Both actions highlight growing grievances over pay, job security and resource shortages in Paraguay’s public health system.