New director for problem plagued CSS

DR ALFREDO  MARTIZ FUENTES has been named the new head of the troubled Social Security  service (CSS) at a time when medical staff serving the Ministry of Health  and the CSS  are  discussing strike action,

He was selected from a list of 16 candidates, evaluated by a commission specially created to choose the replacement of Estivenson Girón, who resigned on December 22, 2016 following  harsh criticism from various sectors of civil society.

His predecessor is facing criminal corruption charges.

The new director was linked to the Varela administration as Panama’s ambassador to Taiwan.

Martíz, , graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Panama.

He was ambassador in Japan in the period 2004-2009 during the government of Martín Torrijos.

He  has also served as director of Technical Services, Diagnostics and Therapeutics at a recognized private clinic in Panama City.