Paraguay cancels elective surgeries due to lack of Covid-19 ICUs

Health authorities in Paraguay decided to cancel or postpone elective surgeries in all the country’s public hospitals amid an imminent shortage of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients. 

According to the Health Ministry, the pandemic will be “the priority” until the coronavirus case curve flattens. In some hospitals, ICUs have reached full capacity. 

Meanwhile, doctors protest a shortage of health supplies in several Paraguayan centers, saying that several hospitals have run out of x-ray plates and catheters. “We don’t even have basic medicines.” 

Paraguay began vaccinations on February 21 and just over 1,000 shots have been administered so far, mainly to frontline health workers. The country plans to receive 3 million doses from the UN-backed Covax global facility in March.

• #health
• #latinAmerica