Medical green alert for Panamas carnivals

A GREEN (standby) alert has been issued by Panama’s Ministry of Health in anticipation of emergencies during upcoming Carnival celebrations.

It’s a time when with a massive movement of vehicles to carnival locations and alcohol fueled incidents, emergency services are at full stretch.

This year, concerns over the continuing dengue epidemic and Hantavirus deaths in theAzuero region have added to the workload. The prohibition on camping and the use of tents remains in force during the alert, which starts at noon on Friday, February 28, and continues until noon on Wednesday March 5.

A total of 2,513 staff, including administrative, medical and health inspectors will remain on duty to ensure assistance if emergencies occur during the four days of Carnival.
There have been meetings with all the mayors of the areas where Carnival is celebrated.They have signed an agreement to keep the places clean before and after each celebration and after Carnival.

There will intensified surveillance in regions where there are confirmed cases of Hantusvirus.
Seventy three four wheel drive ambulances, four jet boats and a helicopter ambulance will also be on standby along with hospital emergency rooms, 46 health centers, plus health posts and 11 checkpoints, which will be served in shifts.
358 general practitioners will remain open along with 51 medical specialists, nearly 900 nurses and 37 Emergency Treatment Technicians (EMTs).
Hundreds of environmental health, food protection, and water quality inspectors will be on patrol, and there will a massive presence of traffic police.
The mass migration from Panama City is expected on Friday and Saturday, with an advance wave late Thursday, so Avenida Balboa leading up to the Cinta Costera carnival site, promises to be a mess.