in Murubiaroga. I want to tell you directly that today the President of the Republic, via decree, has decided to make changes in the cabinet and thus appoint the new Minister of Health, Professor Dr. Rear Admiral Isaías Fretes. at the head of this important institution and at the same time also appoint the new president of the board of the Social Security Institute , Dr. Derlis Carlos León. I want to thank Dr. María Teresa Barán for her hard work, who for the past three years has led the ministry and pushed forward this priority of President Santiago Peña and his administration, which is health, making key investments in infrastructure that will be felt, are being felt, and will be felt even more with these unprecedented investments, some of which involve historic figures, such as 500 million dollars invested in hospital renovations, representing the infrastructure that public health needs . 217 new ambulances, a 167% increase in medical consultations, going from 15 million to 40 million, and hospitals that are in the process of construction such as the General Hospital of Concepción, Curubatú, Mariscales Estigarrivia, the National Hospital of Itahuá, where the government has signed a historic agreement with the Albert Einstein Hospital so that we not only have first-class infrastructure, representing in the future the largest public complex in the country, with more than 1000 beds, 160 of intensive care, 30 operating rooms, but also with a management model of world-class quality. through this agreement with the emblematic hospital that is the Albert Einstein Hospital. Having said that, I would like to give the floor to the new Minister of Health, Professor Dr. Isaías Fretes, so that he can give us his own statement. Good morning, Rocho. Dad's carrying it. I learned during this time that you are my co- workers. I believe that communication is of fundamental importance to be accountable to the people for what one has done, what one is doing and what one has not done; our comptroller is the people. In that context, I want the people to know a little bit more about this man who today has a great responsibility fulfilling the directives of my commander-in-chief, the president of the Republic. Who is Isaiah Ricardo Fretes in private ? I tell my teacher in France, ' Teacher, I am completing my training in this beautiful country and I would like to visit Paris.' And he tells me, "Doctor, you can't leave this country without seeing Paris, seeing Paris, and then dying." And I go to that city and arrive at the E tower. And what does an ordinary man do? A man from a small town, a man from a family of sacrifice. I immediately go into a phone booth in Asunción, it was around 1 o'clock, and I call my mother and tell her, " Mommy, with a peasant woman, perhaps for a man from a fortunate family this is n't a given. For me it was a given. This country, enamored with misfortunes and refusing to die, made things like this a victory for the son of a small-town family." I tell my professor on another occasion, in conversations, when he asks me the following question, "What do you like most about this country, Doctor?" And I tell him that here, citizens don't need to write down the costs of health and education in their notebooks. And in that context, in the anecdotes with my mother, defeating the mindset of the son of a peasant woman, I am Juan Pueblo, I came from the countryside, and that mindset of the My people, in my dreams of having the desired country and what I learned in Europe—health and education—should not be on the citizen's bill. It is my intention to work so that health is not a problem for the people, and I probably wo n't finish the task due to lack of time. But believe me, the son of this countryside will honor the trust of my commander, the leader, will honor that people [clears throat] like me who dream of that desired country, and I will work for it. What I didn't quite understand is why there are also people among you who don't want to see the good things when they read on social media what this Isaías Fretes did in four and a half months. Last Sunday I went into the supermarket and people were taking pictures with me and patting me on the back. And a couple [clears throat] of about 60 years old said to me, "I can't believe that the president of the IPS is here pushing a shopping cart." And I said to them, "But why do you say that to me?" "It's not the usual thing." And I said to him, "The bandit with the droopy mouth." Those people gave me the certification that I, Juan Pueblo, was working with transparency, and they granted me the armor of credibility, so that Juan Pueblo, an honest man, could walk the aisles of a supermarket with that transparent conduct. And in what I learned at the other level of my life, which is military life, where I learned discipline, where I learned loyalty, I will walk in discipline, in loyalty, in transparency, and seeking what I, Juan Pablo, always dreamed of, and I will be held accountable in the end. From this mandate to the people with an active forehead and capturing air, things that I did not know in the scientific world and knowing this, with greater precision and safer steps, I will walk working for the people and I believe in processes and I started a process in the Social Security Institute and this gentleman learned to understand my discipline and also at 4 in the morning he was with me and what was started in the IPS I must continue. And I want to take this opportunity to give an account to the owners of the IPS. There are two major projects that need to be completed. How will it end up being accountable to these owners? The audit work on the properties in Chaco is finished. My personal thanks to the commander of the third army corps, commander of military forces, commander of the army, because the work was done together and we have found things that are exemplary and things that, come on, should never have happened. And the other major project, an audit in the legal surgical area , is also complete and is in the process of being condensed. Derlis will inform you about that here. I am talking about processes, and in this New Testament that I am responsible for carrying out, I am going to continue the process that Dr. Bará started. And within these processes, I want to emphasize the clarity of my words: we must have a unified health front, and no longer work in silos. We, the institutions dedicated to serving the people in the area of health, must help each other. I'm going to work with this gentleman. The tasks will be made easier. We're halfway through the year. There is a budget that we have to stick to, reason [clears throat] more to help us. Love, right now, and we're going to lend each other a hand, and in that joint effort we're going to work for the people. Thank you so much. Good morning everyone. I have been an employee of IPS for 22 years. I was trained in these halls as a pediatrician and as a person. At some point in my life I decided to embrace public health, understanding that a decision in that area immediately impacts many millions of Paraguayans. I am a public servant who is convinced that our citizens, and at this very special time, our insured members, must find what they need in their access to health and in the peace of mind of having a dignified and secure retirement. Life trained us in different areas to be here today and apply everything we learned. Deeply grateful for the trust that the President of the Republic is placing in us at a historic moment for health, where, guided by the Ministry of Health, we will complement the solutions for all citizens of our country. Everything that Professor Isaías Fretes' team has worked on in these 4 months will continue with transparency, but above all seeking solutions for our employers, for our insured. We will continue working in two dimensions, access to our services and access to our medicines, relying on all the resources that this powerful institution has, and the path is marked, we have a direction and we know what we want for the institution. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the professor whom , like him, I have known for many years, since the Faculty of Medical Sciences from which I graduated, and at this moment I have shared with him and continue to learn from many of his virtues. to our insured. We know the way, we know what we have to do, and we're going to do it. Thank you so much. questions. Doctor, doctor, the first question has to do with the eh Good morning, Doctor Ricardo Roa from Telefuturo. The first question, doctor, has to do with this call, a general strike by the medical profession on September 21st and 22nd. Are there any concrete proposals already that you are going to send to the National Union of Doctors? And Poro, what guarantees did he ask the President of the Republic for to assume this important position of Minister of Health? I already know that I have this gentleman's support. That's the guarantee. This gentleman, when I took office, told me, "I'm going to be just another colleague ." He just reaffirmed his support . The only thing I don't do is sleep here. You don't need to request an audience. The people's health is a priority. The doors are open here. Whenever you need me, I'll be waiting. As for the other matter, I'm a teacher, a university professor, a professor of surgery. And in my absence, the first training one receives is dialogue. And I'm going to call this good colleague, Dr. Rosana, and talk to her. I have the tools to be able to talk to her. I commend her leadership. The medical community needs leaders like that, and we're going to solve this problem coherently and through transparent dialogue. I'll dedicate myself to that task next week . We have to solve this problem. The people cannot be left to the mercy of uncertainty, and I have full confidence that, within the framework of coherence, we will be able to resolve this impasse. Doctor, good day. And I reiterate, I reiterate, I said it from the very beginning that Salary improvement was a long-postponed right for doctors. Postponed, but the healthcare workers weren't taken into consideration. This government will. Uh, Minister, a couple of questions as well. First, what instructions did the President of the Republic receive regarding the doctors' strike next week? Uh, there's a specific instruction [laughs] regarding the salary issue, which is the only point being addressed now. And second, to reiterate, what I was also asking about, did you set any conditions for taking on this role , I don't know, changes to deputy ministers, directors, some way of working within the ministry? The meeting was facilitated because I had already set all the conditions for entering this mess when I was going to take over the Social Security Institute. I already know his thinking, I've worked with him for some time, I know how he operates. The only thing I needed was the order, which, if I had been in the armed forces, the order I was going to receive was solutions. The civilian tool isn't like that. Solutions. Here they are I provide the tools, and those tools are coherent for me. I believe that when one operates within a framework of coherence, the result has to be positive, and I will resolve that with my colleagues. Regarding the conditions, Doctor, we will discuss them at that working group meeting. I have the tools to reach a successful outcome, and I believe that, God willing, it will happen this week. I think I have something discussed regarding the supermarket. What did that imply for me? It implied credibility. I believe that with those tools, with that directive, and with credibility, I will be able to talk with my colleagues. I am one of them. I never went into politics. I have no political training. I come from the profession. I am a man of the trenches, a man of the operating room. I speak the same language, I have faced the same challenges. Good morning. Good morning. We spoke when you were president of the IPS on several occasions, and today, as minister, without being boastful and with all due respect, you are surely one of the best presidents the entire social security system has ever had. He stirred things up, a lot of things came to light, and advisors were replaced . I appreciate the concept, and today there are also advisors facing charges related to his administration. The point isn't that, but rather to ask you, Minister, what your first move or your first action will be as Minister of Health, with all that it entails and with everything that's being handled in the health sector in Paraguay. Thank you very much. A week after P took office, a woman I knew at the time greeted me politely and offered her resignation. And I told this woman, "Ma'am," I said, "what a bad manager I would be if I accepted you right away simply because I'm the new broom you have to sweep." Please allow me, ma'am, to work with you. Let me get to know her, because if I decide to accept her, I could end up harming the institution. They showed me the command post was disarmed. What does that mean? Command. Imagine if I were to accept this lady's resignation. It was going to harm the institution. Time passed and I found her to be an excellent, highly skilled professional. My words contain your answer, Minister. And I really appreciate the concept and I'm encouraged by you and that you arrive at the supermarket because what I'm not going to miss, sir, is what Juan Pueblo does. Minister, I also want to reiterate this question. You read quite well, but I want to ask you specifically, will the salary adjustment that the doctors are requesting be granted or not? If I didn't have that tool, what would I talk to the doctors about? This position is temporary. I'm going back to university, I'm going to meet up with my colleagues on the street again. I am the first one who has to secure the benefit for them, otherwise it would be inconsistent with my ideas. Or didn't you hear me say that it's a disgrace that a nurse earns 2,800 or that a hemodynamicist earns 4.5 million? We started working at the IPS for the salary increase of the doctor. How can he demand that a soldier tap in the Mongaruíamo? It's a basic question. I answered your question, sir, didn't I? Thank you very much, Minister. You said that you are going to focus on dialogue and that you are also going to look for solutions. He's going to fight with the presidency of the Republic, talking to the president of the Republic or the minister of Economy for more resources, because as my colleague points out, but why should I have to fight with my bosses? To demand if they themselves are the ones giving me the tools to solve this problem, if they are the first ones interested in solving this problem. We simply need to have a dialogue within a framework of coherence. Doctor, one last question for you and one also for the president of the IPS, uh, for the minister, are you going to make changes in the cabinet or is that something you'll be observing later? And for the president of the IPS, how will he be focusing his management now? Well, he may have been a health manager and now he's chairman of the board. Doctor, we really have a clear path to answering that question because all these months have allowed us to identify the weaknesses. We have already initiated several actions that bring us closer to the possibility of regularizing the situation. of medicines or access to services. From the presidency we will work even harder to ensure this happens. We are very close to the schedule. Any other questions? I believe I answered in the example of this great lady who had introduced herself to me on the first day, on her second day the folder offering her resignation. One has to consider the context. If one has valuable human resources. One must have the ability, the vision, to be able to better exploit those human resources. These institutions have very valuable, highly skilled people. Allow me to place myself, allow me to get to know that institution that I always limited myself on several occasions to visiting due to work issues and issues related to the class of '83 with Minister Barán. Then I believe the answer will have met your expectations. Mr. Minister, regarding your position, I personally have always valued the dignity of medical salaries, but given what the union sector is specifically requesting, do you believe there should be a dignified salary for everyone equally, or do you think it should be as the government proposes, with a healthcare career path? Uh, how many years of journalism experience do you have? Three. 3 years. Do you think you can earn the same amount as a 25-year-old journalist who has a television presence and prestige? And I believe he's going to have a key career. There's your answer, sir. Fight for it, earn that prestige, and you'll earn the same as a 25-year-old journalist. But the floor, but the floor, the wage floor, eh, that's not up for debate, but the wage floor needs to be raised. I just said dynamite vanata 4 and a half million. There is something that is not seen in other professions. When I started my medical training in surgery, tomography did not exist. Ultrasound was in its infancy and wasn't widely believed. The clinics were the benchmark for everything. The clinic, that allowed you a safety factor which is getting very close to your patient because we made mistakes. But when you made me your patient, your patient forgave your slips. Today, the issue of medico-legal problems has emerged. And what is the first protective factor against medico-legal problems? Continuing medical education. But that continuing medical education costs money. That implies attending at least one scientific event per year. But you already have 00 here crossing the border, right? Be subscribed to at least two scientific journals. That 50 each is an expense that is above what that individual needs to live. Therefore, there needs to be a minimum salary commensurate with the profession, and there are already many doctors in the country facing medico-legal problems. And do you know what another tragedy is in the practice of medicine? In Paraguay, there is no medical insurance against malpractice. There is a company that is taking its first steps there in Argentina. Argentina crossing the border. The surgeon colleagues have two insurance policies to pay for. Here, the doctor, the practice of medicine, is risky. Because? Because what I'm telling you is that in a time when medical errors are already commonplace and even unbelievable, and with the justice system on top of them, they don't have the means for their continuing medical training, and there aren't any companies that guarantee it either. Let me give you an example. One of the things this gentleman has to fix. A doctor leaves to take a course abroad and the institution does not grant him his salary. Now there's a guy who's in the mud, at one of the best neurosurgery centers in the world. He'll be gone for a year; he left without his salary. What's going to happen to that boy? He is well-trained, but he will be offered other healthcare providers and will have better options; he will lose that human resource. He left without any sense of belonging. When I used to travel to four or five countries a year to give lectures, before I got into this mess, the navy never put any obstacles in my way. Wow, doctor, you mean the country. The institution benefits from his knowledge. He had institutional pride. That's something we need to work on again. I had a meeting with the Indian ambassador. I requested an interview with him. He was kind enough to come to the office. Why did I call him? If the IPS couldn't give these doctors the options I'm talking about, at least it should provide free medical education. What did I talk about with this Indian ambassador? One within a continuing medical education program that Indian professors of all specialties give classes on the first Monday of each month. Conodúle, its leader has the obligation to obtain that type of advantage. Second, that Hindu doctors come to Paraguay for a period of one month to work here. Third, the possibility that doctors from the institute could go to India to be fos. So, that's another level one can work on to make this colleague aware that he wo n't be paying that cost. That makes sense, right? Well, good morning, happy Sunday, and I want to finish with the following. I will never speak September 2026. It happens at a moment when I stopped to think September 11, the day of the match, September 12, Estela Mari, my patron saint, and this event occurs where I assume the enormous responsibility of serving my people and I cannot leave this microphone without remembering my family, so many absences they have already endured in my naval life. In naval life, gentlemen, it doesn't exist. I don't want to, much less can I, obey Joana's order. When I arrived from France, after 20 days the superiors considered it very important to arm me with the military spirit and sent me to Pobo Hondo. Ayú enveja a polvo. My family is going to have to [clears throat] understand once again and they do it with joy, they do it with happiness because they take the responsibility as their own and I cannot leave this microphone without remembering my family and especially my mothers. Thank you very much, Minister. Minister Javier Jiménez. The agreement signed by María Teresa Bará with doctors was also close. What does that mean? I think the doctor already explained it clearly; he is compiling all the conversations he is having with the medical community, and it will be resolved next week. Thus concludes the press conference in Burubillarroga, with Dr. Isaías Fretes, former director of the IPS, assuming the position of Minister of Health, and Dr. Elis León taking over as director of the IPS. These changes within the health ministry follow the recent crises.