CSS is Opening Positions in the Interior of the Country and is not Ruling out Hiring Foreigners: Doctors are Needed!

The Social Security Fund today launched a new search for medical specialists to alleviate pressure in the interior of the country. They are seeking to fill 77 positions quickly in areas where healthcare is stretched to its limits.  In Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, Colón, Coclé, and Panama East, hospitals are experiencing a shortage of pediatricians, cardiologists, gynecologists, and ophthalmologists.  The Director of Medical Services, Marcos Young, explained on TVN-2 that although general practitioners are available, few are willing to relocate to these areas. The CSS offers salaries from $3,000 to $4,200 plus bonuses and overtime that can bring earnings closer to $7,000 or $8,000 per month.  

Housing is also offered in critical areas, but vacant positions persist.  This is the fifth call for applications issued by the institution. Previous attempts only managed to hire two Panamanian specialists, jeopardizing the care of hundreds of patients.  If not enough positions are filled, the CSS does not rule out bringing in foreign doctors as a last resort, a measure that seeks to avoid dangerous delays in procedures such as cesarean sections or urgent surgeries.  The immediate goal is to fill at least 20 to 25 positions to give some relief to the most affected hospitals and improve access to specialized care in communities where staff is scarce.