KPC hits overstretched Chiriqui hospital

KPC  (Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemesa)  has been detected in  2 patients in  Chiriqui Social Security hospital  already unable to cope with local demands.

Restrictions have been placed on visitors. Past and present CSS authorities agree that the demands of the population of the western region, are beyond the capacity of Rafael Hernandez Hospital which in addition to serving  470,000 inhabitants of Chiriqui, receives patients from the Ngäbe-Bugle region and the provinces of Veraguas and Bocas del Toro.

Offocials say the high concentration of patients is counter productive because it limits the ability of the hospital to cope with contingencies such as natural disasters or epidemics in the region. Strict limits have been placed on visitors

Says one official: "Regardless of the situation created by KPC, hospitals should  not be places of family and social gatherings because disease can be transmitted to patients with low defenses.”