Government nixes funds to study health, disabled

PANAMA’S RENOWNED Gorgas Institute has been denied funds to carry out studies to investigate the status of health and disability  programs in the country. 

The surveys are needed  to evaluate progress or setbacks  and to  measure achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, established by the World Health Organization.

The current government has not allocated funds to implement these investigations says La Prensa

The Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (ICGES) is one of the bodies which, since 2010, has requested budgets to investigate  the health status of  Panamanians, but has been denied.

The director of the institution, Nestor Sosa, former Minister of Health and Aida Rivera agree that the results of these analyzes reveal that  research projects suspended by the allocation of funds is  the Second National Survey of Persons with Disabilities, which should have been done last year.

The  Living Standards Survey, which in the past generated valuable information about the economic conditions of households. was not requested by any State institution.  Health Minister, Javier Diaz, confirmed that health surveys will, not be done by the ICGES.