Health
From The Report: Panama 2014
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At the height of its economic success, Panama seems to be seizing the opportunity to expand medical infrastructure. Funding for health in both the public and private sectors is rising along with spending per capita on medical services. Five new hospitals under construction are expected to add 1500 new beds and benefit some 658,000 patients, boosting the quality of health care in areas outside of the capital. A new medical city, known as Ciudad Hospitalaria, will consist of a 31.9-ha, $587.5m facility that will provide 1700 beds, 40 surgery rooms and 200 emergency room beds. Successful expansion of the sector will nevertheless depend on overcoming its most fundamental setback – a lack of medical staff, which could cause significant operational deficits. Indeed, Panama lags behind regional averages in its ratio of medical professionals to population. A new law allowing foreign medical professionals to work in specific jurisdictions could alleviate some of the pressure for the time being.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Backbone of a healthy economy: Public and private initiatives look to improve services and boost availability of trained personnel
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Good health is always a sign of prosperity. Panama appears to have taken this motto to heart and is now determined to improve the country’s medical facilities, coverage and treatment, feats that do not come easily in a region historically afflicted by high rates of poverty and illness. At the height of its economic success and continued growth, the country is seizing the moment to expand medical infrastructure and prepare for the future. While much has yet to be done, expectations continue to grow…

Analysis

Increasing coverage: The government is investing to consolidate the national hospital system
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While logistics and transportation haul in major public investment, initiatives in medical infrastructure should not go unnoticed. In 2010 the government launched an ambitious plan to construct five regional hospitals, a medical city within the capital, and a network of smaller health care facilities and ambulatory services. With several projects coming to a close, the question remains as to whether the country has sufficient resources to operate the new facilities. Regions Panama’s small size…