Panama with 1,317 virus cases, ICU at tipping point

Panama has reached the tipping point with the availability of intensive care beds as  the   number of confirmed cases of coronavirus increased by  136  to 1,317   with 32 deaths on Wednesday, April 1

There are 198 people hospitalized, of which 63 are in intensive care.

 In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital Complex of the Social Security Fund,(CSS)  all  45 beds, all occupied, says the director, Enrique Lau Cortés.

Health Minister Rosario Turner warned that many people have not taken seriously that the coronavirus brings death and that where 50% of those who enter  ICU die

Until Wednesday there were 198 people hospitalized, 63 in intensive care, which puts pressure not only on doctors but on the entire health system. The high demand for medical supplies in the public health system has led the health authorities to and seek help from its allies in the private sector.

CSS director Lau Cortés stressed that they are receiving donations of biosafety equipment, such as masks, and they are making purchases.

However, he said that there is a shortage of mask No. 95 – the one that offers the best safety for health personnel – and that is why it is only being provided to health personnel who work directly with COVID-19 positive patients or those who administer tests for diagnosis.

Domingo Moreno, from the National Negotiating Medical Commission, reported that his members have informed him that they do not have protective equipment. “These are internal doctors and general medicine who could become infected,” he said.

Officials from the Ministry of Health admit that protective equipment cannot be offered to all health personnel, but priority is given to those who directly care for patients or handle samples for examinations.