President Mulino Inaugurates Bugaba Hospital ‘The Best in the Province’

Bugaba, Chiriquí:  President José Raúl Mulino inaugurated the new hospital in the district of Bugaba, in the province of Chiriquí, this Thursday, November 27. The project was long awaited by the population and its construction suffered multiple delays before finally being delivered after 14 years of waiting.

“The best hospital in the province of Chiriquí, without a doubt,” he remarked.

During the ceremony, the mayor acknowledged the role of the Bugaba community, which had lobbied for years to ensure the project’s completion. “I thank the people of the district who never gave up demanding the completion of this hospital,” he emphasized, noting that the project’s completion is a testament to their unwavering commitment. He recalled that, a year ago, the workers had promised him the hospital would be finished by this very date.  He highlighted that the hospital has five years of maintenance included, an element that, he explained, will allow the infrastructure and equipment to be kept in optimal condition.  Mulino also called on the community and the healthcare professionals who will work at the new center to protect the facility. In his speech, he remembered a young patient from Bugaba who underwent open-heart surgery in Panama City, whom he invited to the opening ceremony as a symbol of the impact the hospital will have on the population’s healthcare.

“I ask you to take care of this. Take care of it!” he stressed.

One of the president’s strongest messages was directed at the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and the Social Security Fund (CSS). Mulino insisted that the integration of the public health system must move forward rapidly, as required by law and the country’s operational realities.  He questioned the duplication of hospitals built by the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and the Social Security Fund (CSS) in nearby areas, stating that this practice must be eliminated. “It makes no sense to have this duplication,” he said, urging the directors of both systems to work as a single institution.  The president reiterated that his administration is committed to a single, coordinated, and efficient healthcare system that avoids wasting resources and guarantees better service for patients.  “Work as if it were a single hospital, a single institution, to truly integrate everything into one house.”  For his part, Health Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo explained that all specialties will be available, but indicated that it will take time for them to become operational.  “Just like with the Amador Guerrera and other hospitals, it takes time to get them fully operational.”

“I want that health integration to work, and fast. Fast,” he stated, indicating that maintaining parallel structures generates unnecessary expenses and difficulties for the population.