Updates on public health, medical research, and healthcare services in Panama. Stories include policy changes, outbreaks, and practical health advice.
A call is growing for Panama to move ahead with the long-delayed new Faculty of Medicine at Ciudad de la Salud. The project has become a symbol of the country’s struggle to expand doctor training and respond to health worker shortages.
The Ministry of Health is warning Panamanians to take heat precautions as high temperatures raise the risk of dehydration and heatstroke. Officials urge people to avoid midday sun, hydrate constantly and protect children and babies.
The WHO says the Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine could take months to develop, while the Congo outbreak remains a regional emergency and the global risk is still low. Health officials are focused on breaking transmission in a conflict-hit area where diagnosis has been difficult.
The WHO has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency, with the Bundibugyo strain raising concern because no approved vaccine exists for it. The warning matters for Panama because of the country’s air connectivity and the need for strong entry screening.
Fear is rising in eastern Congo as a new Ebola outbreak spreads alarm in Bukavu and beyond. The crisis renews global concern over rapid containment and cross-border risk.
Tu Samaritano is a volunteer transport network in Panama that gives cancer patients free rides to the National Oncology Institute. In five months, it has grown to 144 volunteers.
A growing parenting conversation in Panama is challenging harsh discipline in favor of firm, warm guidance that helps children regulate emotions. The approach emphasizes clear limits, emotional validation, and repair after conflict.
Panama’s latest femicide case has brought new attention to the warning signs experts say often appear long before deadly violence. Authorities and specialists are urging families, coworkers, and neighbors to treat control, threats, and isolation as urgent danger signals.
Panama’s Ombudsman’s Office is reviewing hospital care in the Caja de Seguro Social network after patients raised concerns about service failures. The move adds pressure to address long-standing maintenance and infrastructure problems affecting public health care.
Panama is drawing attention for efforts to strengthen childhood cancer care through national leadership and better system coordination. The move reflects a broader regional push to improve early diagnosis, access to treatment, and support for families.
France has tightened health screening in Mayotte after the Ebola outbreak in Congo, extending checks to arrivals from South Africa. The move reflects growing regional concern about preventing imported cases in the French Indian Ocean territory.
Health officials say payrolls for 23 resident doctors at Hospital Santo Tomás could be prepared this month to cover six to eight months of overdue shift payments. The case highlights broader delays affecting medical trainees in Panama’s public health system.
Violence in San Miguelito has forced Panama health centers, including Torrijos Carter, to shorten hours and increase security. Authorities have also imposed curfews in high-risk corregimientos as shootings continue to disrupt daily life.
Violence near health facilities in San Miguelito has forced shorter hours at several public clinics, with authorities prioritizing safety for staff and patients. The main concern centers on repeated shootings near the Amelia Denis de Icaza center in Pan de Azúcar.
Panama’s rising concern over bullying is increasingly being framed as a mental health emergency, with specialists urging families and schools to act on early warning signs. National data and existing laws show the issue is both a public health and education challenge.
The WHO is deploying experts and supplies to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help contain an Ebola outbreak described as complex and difficult. The response highlights the continuing threat of Ebola in Central Africa and the importance of rapid containment.
Hospital Anita Moreno in Los Santos has received new oncology ultrasound equipment that will support targeted biopsies and more precise cancer evaluation. The upgrade strengthens regional diagnostic care for patients in Azuero.
A rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak in Central Africa has prompted an urgent containment effort in Congo and Uganda, with more than 300 cases and at least 116 suspected deaths reported. Global health officials are watching closely as cross-border transmission raises the stakes.
The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola outbreak a global health emergency as deaths rise above 100. The move signals a major international effort to contain the virus and protect nearby countries.
A new Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda is fueling debate over Africa’s reliance on foreign aid for epidemic response. Leaders are pushing for stronger domestic health systems as donor support fades.