Doctors call for 15-days mandatory total lockdown

The Panamanian Society of Internal Medicine has called on  the Government establish a total mandatory quarantine in the provinces of Panama, Panama West and Chiriquí for at least 15 days to stop the spread of the coronavirus that has killed 863 people and infected over 43,000 including some 400,medical staff, amd stretched hospital facilities to the maximum.

A statement signed by the President of the Society, Nuvia Batista, it is suggested to establish appropriate containment measures according to epidemiological outbreaks in the rest of the country.

“We request the Government to provide Health personnel with the personal protective equipment necessary for their performance, as well as the medications and medical supplies that are required in the centers of attention as an emergency,” the document states.

One of the main concerns of doctors is that in four months of a pandemic, some 400 members have been infected and medical supplies are scarce, so drastic measures must be taken in response to the increase in cases and deaths.

The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, stated that nothing is ruled out, the request is  being analyzed, but in order to make a decision like this, the government and the population must be prepared.

In addition, the Ministry of Health on its Twitter account reported that the Government has not taken any decision regarding the recommendation of several medical unions to declare an absolute quarantine and that if  is decided, it will be announced in advance.

There were  1,119 hospitalized patients, 969 in wards and 160 in intensive care and hundreds more in hospital hotels.