Due to High Demand in Panama, Children’s Hospital Suspends Elective Surgeries.

The situation at the Children’s Hospital remains strained due to the increase in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases. Currently, the medical center has 61 patients hospitalized with RSV, more than 20 of whom are in the intensive care unit.  Given this situation and the lack of available beds, the hospital’s medical director, Dr. Paul Gallardo, confirmed the temporary suspension of elective surgeries requiring hospitalization. The doctor explained: “Unfortunately, we have to suspend elective surgeries, those that are scheduled and would be of a certain complexity, requiring hospitalization, because there are no beds available for those types of surgeries.” 

Gallardo clarified that “surgeries performed in the emergency room, and surgeries resulting from complications in hospitalized patients, will continue to be performed.” He further detailed that the hospital had “401 patients” this morning, of whom “23 are in intensive care due to respiratory syncytial virus” and “another 38 are in the ward; fortunately, they are not in serious condition, but they also have respiratory syncytial virus.”  Regarding the postponed surgeries, he indicated that “people who have their children scheduled for surgeries, those specialties will be rescheduled; they have to attend their appointment so that the surgeon can reschedule it.”

Figures and Position of the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Health (MINSA) confirmed a total of 18 deaths nationwide associated with the virus. In this regard, the Director General of Public Health, Yelkys Gill, explained that “of the 18 deaths, the mothers had not received the vaccine,” adding that “other factors also play a role, as we know, when we talk about children under 5 years old, such as their immune status, nutritional status, and the possibility of having other illnesses that complicate the situation and the progression of the disease.” 

Gill specified the distribution of cases: “There are 18 deaths from respiratory syncytial virus, 16 of which are in children under 5 years old, 2 in people over 65 years old, 2 of those deaths are male, 6 are female,” and regarding the regions he indicated that “six are from the Ngäbe Buglé region, three from Bocas del Toro, three from Chiriquí, two from Panama Oeste and the rest of what would be at the national level one death.”  To address this situation, the Ministry of Health announced that it will deploy teams nationwide to strengthen vaccination coverage.