Healthcare in Panama
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Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
is provided through the government and private sector businesses. The public sector is funded through the Ministry of Health (MINSA), and the Social Security Fund (CSS), which operate separate facilities. The CSS is both a healthcare provider and a pension fund administrator. It is funded by contributions from employers and employees. About 3.47 million people of the population of roughly 3.9 million were covered by its provisions in 2013, this included both the contributors and their dependents. MINSA provides low-cost facilities for those not covered. In 2014 it operated 830 health facilities. Rural areas can face problems with the
public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
care system, where a lack of funding creates a shortage of beds. The majority of doctors prefer to live in
Panama City Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...
where there are higher patient loads and more economic opportunities. Panama City and
David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
have become
medical tourism Medical tourism refers to people traveling abroad to obtain medical treatment. In the past, this usually referred to those who traveled from less-developed countries to major medical centers in highly developed countries for treatment unavailable a ...
destinations, especially for aesthetic and orthopaedic procedures.


Private health care

There are four major private hospitals. Private expenditure was 31.4% of the total health spending in 2012, mostly directly out of pocket spending. Clínica Hospital San Fernando is the oldest, dating from 1949. The law entitles retirees to a 20-25% discount on medical services. A medical franchise, MiniMed, started in 2011 and has seven walk-in primary care facilities.


Hospitals

Emergency medical services are primarily in Panama City where 911 service is available. Outside Panama City and David, they drop off dramatically.
Boquete, Chiriquí Boquete is a small mountain town in Panama. It is located in the westernmost Province of Chiriquí, about from the border with Costa Rica, and lies on the Caldera River, in Panama's green mountain highlands. Because of its elevation, some abo ...
has limited capability despite a large ex-pat population. In the indigenous comarcas MINSA is the only provider and there are very limited hospital facilities. From 2009 to 2014 a medical city, Ciudad Hospitalaria in Panama City, a network of smaller health care facilities and five regional hospitals were initiated: * Anita Moreno Hospital in
Los Santos District Los Santos District is a district (''distrito'') of Los Santos Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 23,828. The district covers a total area of 429 km². The capital lies at the city of La Villa de los Santos. ...
, * Manuel Amador Guerrero Hospital in Colón Province, * Metetí General Hospital in Darién Province * Bugaba Hospital, slated for
Chiriquí Province Chiriquí () is a province of Panama located on the western coast; it is the second most developed province in the country, after the Panamá Province. Its capital is the city of David. It has a total area of 6,490.9 km², with a population ...
. * Luis “Chicho” Fabrega hospital in
Veraguas Veraguas () is a province of Panama, located in the centre-west of the country. The capital is the city of Santiago de Veraguas. It is the only Panamanian province to border both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It covers an area of 10,587.6&nb ...
See also List of hospitals in Panama. Prices are significantly cheaper than in the United States or other highly developed nations, but in comparison to the average Panamanian wage is proportionally equal. Some doctors are highly trained in the United States but few are board-certified. However, many are trained in high quality medical schools in Spain, Mexico, Panama, and a few in Cuba.


References

{{North America topic, Health in