Panama Breaks Ground on First Major State Veterinary Hospital

On Wednesday, the groundbreaking ceremony for the project took place, which, according to President José Raúl Mulino, will address an unmet need for a large part of the population. Lacking the necessary financial resources to help these animals, people are forced to abandon them. In this regard, the head of the Ministry of Health, Fernando Boyd Galindo, agreed, considering that 'health is one'; therefore, the benefits of this hospital will not be only for animals. Carlota Mattos, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (Mida), detailed that the veterinary center will offer external consultation, emergency services, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, imaging, laboratory, and morgue services. She mentioned that the objective of the facility is to offer accessible and quality veterinary services, promote awareness about animal welfare, and strengthen the training of those dedicated to this medical field. The opening of the Pet Hospital, one of President José Raúl Mulino's campaign promises, will become a reality in approximately 18 months. Although the cost of the services to be offered by this establishment has not yet been set, the First Lady, Maricel Cohen de Mulino, assured that it will be 'minimal' so that animals that have suffered any type of accident or illness can overcome their traumas. She reiterated that the hospital will also help reduce the transmission of diseases between animals and humans. 'What we are looking for is to provide the service to all our pets at an accessible price,' she indicated. 'In this way, we will be contributing to the development of specialized talent in the country,' she said. The Minister of Agricultural Development, Roberto Linares, announced that in parallel, work is being done on the construction of a second, smaller headquarters, located in the district of David, province of Chiriquí, which could be completed before 2027. He added that they have sufficient staff to attend to the daily demand. The facility, costing $14,132,447.45, will be located in the Costa Sur area, corregimiento of Don Bosco, and will have 8 consultation rooms, 18 daily doctors, and an annual capacity of 95,000 consultations for dogs and cats. Linares did not rule out replicating the idea in other provinces; however, the initial efforts will be concentrated in the already announced locations. 'Students will be able to integrate theory and practice by participating in real clinical procedures and familiarizing themselves with modern care tools.'