Traffic chaos as protesting patients close highways

For the second consecutive day, on March 28  Panama city experienced chaos after the total closure of the Transistmica, which caused the congestion of alternate streets and avenues. This time it was the kidney failure patients who closed the Transistmica in front of the Social Security Fund Complex in the early hours of the morning in protest of the controversial tender for the construction of six new hemodialysis units. Patients claim that the proposal submitted by the sole bidder does not meet their real needs.

Both roads towards Ricardo J. Alfaro (Tumba Muerto) and those heading towards Calidonia, Frangipani, and the city center were closed. Drivers are asked to avoid the sector or take alternate routes.

The only bidder for the public act was the Renal Consortium, which presented a proposal of $168.8 million for the hemodialysis service and supply of kits, as well as for the construction of six hemodialysis units. The reference price established by the CSS was $180.8 million.

Although the tender has not yet been awarded, the patients demand that it be declared void since the process has not been carried out in the most transparent way and they consider that the proposal does not meet the necessary requirements so that they can receive their treatments in optimal conditions.

In recent months, the situation in the hemodialysis unit of the Social Security Fund complex has worsened, largely due to the poor condition of the infrastructure that has collapsed due to the number of people who arrive daily to receive care. In addition, the company in charge of maintaining the machines to carry out kidney failure treatments suspended the service due to a lack of payments.

 In Coclé, patients with chronic renal failure closed the street in front of the Rafael Estévez Hospital in Aguadulce as a measure of pressure to demand that the Social Security Fund stop the bidding process and the immediate purchase of supplies for hemodialysis treatments.

Samuel Reyes, vice president of hemodialysis patients in Coclé, pointed out that there are currently no supplies or cleaning materials at the Rafael Estévez hospital.