Health MInister resigns
IN THE MIDST of an influenza outbreak in which the H1N1 virus has claimed 18 lives Panama’s Health Minister Francisco Javier Terrientes, has submitted his resignation to President Juan Carlos Varela.
The outbreak, which has been called an “epidemiological alert” has, until Monday, June 13, hospitalized 607, of whom 220 have already been discharged.
West Panama, Colon, David, Santiago, San Miguelito and Aguadulce, are some of the areas where deaths have occurred.
Health clinics have been working extra hours to provide free vaccination to scores of thousands of people.
The announcement of Terrientes ’resignation came on Tuesday after the president announced that the Health Committee for Coordination and Communication on Influenza confirmed that, a consignment of 300,000 influenza vaccines will arrive from France on Friday.
During the weekend vaccinations will be available to the entire population, in premises of the Ministry of Health and Social Security.