City garbage blitz uncovers horror stories

Panama’s health authority (MINSA) promised strong action against restaurant owners and street vendors that prepare food near piles of trash.

The warning came after a Monday waste collection blitz in El Chorrillo and Panama Viejo that revealed containers overflowing with garbage and holding  numerous dead animals,  rats, cockroaches, flies, worms, and mosquitoes, creating serious health threats.
Jorge Hassán, who heads the Metropolitan Health Region led the operation and said that bug sprays and other chemicals were used to reduce the infestation.
Large amounts of trash were also removed from schools and health centers, which were then sprayed and fumigated.