Updates on public health, medical research, and healthcare services in Panama. Stories include policy changes, outbreaks, and practical health advice.
Operation Smile will perform more than 120 free surgeries for children in Chiriquí as part of its 35 years of work in Panama. The campaign focuses on minors with cleft lip and cleft palate from low-income families.
MEDUCA has released the official 2026 schedule for Escuela para Padres workshops, which will take place on Tuesday, May 12, in regions across Panama. The program aims to strengthen family involvement in education.
Panama’s Health Ministry has rescheduled all off-site health activities, including vaccination drives and medical fairs, to reinforce measles control efforts. The move shifts priority toward stronger prevention and outbreak response.
Panamá Oeste is monitoring 11 contacts after an imported measles case, as Panama responds to two infections that entered the country through Guabito and Tocumen airport. Health teams are focusing on contact tracing and prevention.
CSS says the Complejo Hospitalario’s laboratories continue operating with full coverage for emergencies and hospitalizations, and more than 80% for outpatient care. The clarification comes amid concerns about a possible reagent shortage.
Health officials in Bocas del Toro are tracing 78 contacts linked to a Dutch traveler who tested positive for measles. Twenty-eight people have already been located and are being monitored.
Panama is advancing its One Health strategy to link human, animal, environmental, and food safety priorities. Health Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo said COVID-19 highlighted how interconnected those areas are.
Panama’s Health Ministry has activated two surveillance fronts to monitor possible measles cases while reinforcing vaccination as the main prevention tool. Officials are also outlining the immunization schedule used to protect against the disease.
Panama’s Social Security Fund is turning to robotic surgery in Chiriquí as part of an effort to reduce surgical waiting lists. The technology promises greater precision, better visualization, and potentially safer outcomes for complex procedures.
Panama’s Ministry of Health is tracking 386 contacts linked to two imported measles cases and carrying out 21-day surveillance to prevent secondary infections. Officials say most contacts are vaccinated and that the country has no community transmission.
The Ministry of Health will hold a three-day white and green card fair in Tocumen, with service available each morning from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The event is aimed at helping residents complete an important health credential closer to home.
Urgent surgeries are continuing at Chitré’s Dr. Gustavo Nelson Collado Hospital while elective procedures are temporarily paused for air-conditioning repairs in the operating rooms. Patients scheduled for planned surgeries have already been contacted.
Health authorities in the U.S. and France confirmed new hantavirus cases among passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius after a deadly outbreak. The ship remains in Tenerife as countries coordinate testing, quarantine and repatriation measures.
The CSS has opened registration for private doctors on Mi Receta Digital, expanding Panama’s electronic prescription platform. The move brings private medical practices into the country’s digital health system.
Panama’s Health Ministry is keeping nationwide epidemiological surveillance active, with special attention on diseases linked to contact with rodents in rural areas. The monitoring aims to support early detection and prevention across the country.
A reagent shortage has disrupted essential lab testing at the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital Complex, affecting kidney, liver, and pancreatic function tests. The Social Security Fund says a centralized purchase of chemistry and immunochemistry supplies is nearing completion.
The CSS has launched “Mi Receta Digital,” a platform that connects doctors, patients, and pharmacies in one system to speed up prescription handling. Private-sector doctors have 30 days to register, while CSS and MINSA doctors who also work privately will be enrolled automatically.
Panama City officials have opened bidding for the B/. 74 million Hospital Regional de Panamá Norte, a project expected to serve more than 600,000 people. The new facility aims to bring specialized public health care closer to fast-growing communities in the north of the district.
Panama’s Health Ministry is asking travelers who were in Bocas del Toro from April 23 to 27 to report for measles monitoring. More than 140 health workers have been deployed as contact tracing continues.
Panama’s Social Security Fund has launched Mi Receta Digital, a QR-based prescription system that sends pickup details by email. Patients can now collect medicines using a digital code instead of only paper documents.