April 13, 2026 – 18:55
At the Santa Rosa District Hospital there are several doctors who are developing specialties irregularly, putting the lives of people who come to the care center in search of assistance at risk. Nursing graduate Gloria Penayo made the complaint and warned of the possible consequences.
The Gloria Penayo He pointed out that, within the framework of an investigation he carried out since 2024after the death of his mother following a alleged medical negligence which has not yet been resolved, was able to access worrying data. The investigation began after learning that the four professionals who treated his mother did not have medical residency, which motivated a broader review of the situation of the hospital’s medical staff.
During the investigations carried out through the public information portal, it was detected that 18 professionals would not have clinical residency, according to data from the Ministry of Public Health and the National Commission of Medical Residencies (Conarem). Likewise, he denounced that on the hospital’s official page on the social network Facebook, doctors without a specialty appear as specialists in areas such as pediatrics, diabetes and medical clinic, which contradicts official records.
“This type of situation can lead to a diagnostic error or a late diagnosis, even putting people’s lives at risk, because these doctors are not trained as specialists,” said Penayo.
He added that the seriousness of the case lies in the fact that the hospital advertises specialists that it does not have, which could lead to crimes such as improper exercise of medicine and usurpation of functions by the professionals involved.
In addition, he said, there could be poor performance of duties by the director of the Eighth Health Region of Misiones, Dr. José María Mérelesand the director of the Santa Rosa District Hospital, Dr. Sara Ramírez. He indicated that both, in their role as controllers, cannot claim ignorance of the situation, since they themselves publish information and know the real condition of the doctors.
“Here we are not only talking about an administrative irregularity, we are talking about human livesin danger of death,” he noted.
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The incident was reported to the Santa Rosa Prosecutor’s Officethe Municipal Board and the mayor of the community, Ruben Jacquet (PLRA)who also serves as president of the Local Health Council. The complainant hopes that the corresponding institutions will investigate the case and determine responsibilities given the seriousness of the accusations made.
For his part, the head of the Eighth Health Region, José Mérelesstated that Penayo must prove his claims regarding medical specialties. He pointed out that in recent times the Santa Rosa Hospital has incorporated more specialists through rural internships, which allow professionals to expand their experience before establishing themselves definitively in the health system.
He also indicated that in the hospital they work five general practitioners with extensive experience, who do not perform functions in pediatrics and work in the adult area, always accompanied by specialists. He highlighted that pediatrics is a sensitive area that requires trained professionals, such as pediatric specialists or family doctors, who have comprehensive training to care for various areas of health.
Finally, Méreles indicated that the case related to Penayo’s mother is closed for the Ministry of Health and the IPS, and considered the complainant’s statements to be false. He added that in Santa Rosa, inconveniences in medical care have been reduced in recent times due to the incorporation of a greater number of specialists in the district hospital.
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