The project aims to improve healthcare for children suffering from burns in the western region of the country. The charity event was held on March 13 and 14 during the International Fair of David, where companies, volunteers, artists, media, and the Chiriquí community came together to contribute. The event highlighted a concerning reality: around 30% of children under 14 with burns in the country receive care at this hospital. Statistics reflect the magnitude of the problem in the region. The hospital registered 348 patients in 2019, 1,231 in 2020, 871 in 2021, and 1,010 in 2022, mainly from Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro, indigenous comarcas, and the southern zone of Costa Rica. The head of the Burns Unit, Alfredo Moltó, explained that childhood burns represent a public health problem in western Panama. He noted that with the new equipment, the practice of performing dressings in regular showers will be replaced by comprehensive therapeutic baths, individual climate-controlled cubicles, specialized beds, and vital signs monitors. Meanwhile, the president of Teletón 20-30 Chiriquí 2026, Giacomo Tamburrelli, detailed that the funds will allow for the acquisition of hospital beds with monitoring towers, an integrated therapeutic bathing system, and climate-controlled cubicles. He stated that the project seeks to strengthen care for pediatric patients with severe burns in the western region. The artistic show was also part of the event, featuring Sammy and Sandra Sandoval, Os Almirantes, Alejandro Torres, Renato, Llevarte a Marte, Doralis and Kako Nieto, RD Maravilla, Rootilio and Zulu Lion, Principal, Tommy Real and Anubikis, among other artists. The organizers thanked the public for their donations made through Yappy, ACH transfers, and contributions at the fair, which will improve care at the Burns Unit of the José Domingo de Obaldía Maternal and Child Hospital. Teletón 20-30 Panama has had support programs for children with disabilities and chronic diseases for over two decades. In Chiriquí, Teletón 20-30 Chiriquí 2026 surpassed its fundraising goal, reaching $505,195.90, which will be used to equip and remodel the Burns Unit at the José Domingo de Obaldía Maternal and Child Hospital. A recovery bed with an Air Fluidized Support System will also be incorporated, a technology that helps accelerate healing, reduce infections, and improve patient recovery. The president of the Activo 20-30 Club, Danilo Pinto Muñoz, highlighted that the initiative aims to bring medical treatments, therapies, and preventive education programs to children in the province. The organization announced it will continue to promote this regional model with future initiatives in Azuero, Santiago, and the province of Colón.
