The National Oncology Institute (ION), in coordination with the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and the Social Security Fund (CSS), has put into operation the first rooms of its new Palliative Care and Oncological Pain Relief Room, located at the Oncology Hospital of the City of Health, a space designed to provide comprehensive, dignified, and humanized care for cancer patients.
Alex González, advisor to the Minsa's Higher Office, highlighted the importance of this type of inter-institutional initiative, which strengthens the public health network and improves the quality of life for oncology patients and their families. He indicated that the implementation of the room has been gradual and well-planned, allowing for the evaluation of each case to ensure patients receive the care they need.
“Currently, patients are being admitted little by little; a process of evaluation is being carried out so that they can receive everything they need,” he specified.
Furthermore, he highlighted that this new space will contribute to improving the capacity for care in the face of the increase in cancer cases in recent years. Dr. González mentioned that the opening of this unit is part of a broader strategy to strengthen oncological services, which includes the future commissioning of a new nine-story building for areas such as chemotherapy and outpatient consultation.
For his part, the medical director of the ION, Julio Santamaría, stated that this opening represents “a giant step” in the country's oncological care. He emphasized that palliative care goes much further than medical treatment: “It is about maintaining and recovering the patient's dignity, giving them a space where they can be with their family, receive emotional and spiritual support, and face their illness with accompaniment.”
The head of the Palliative Care and Oncological Pain Relief Unit, Mario Julio Garibaldo, explained that this project, initially planned for March, became a reality on April 6th, marking a key moment for the care system.
“It was like completely changing a system: turning off the old one and turning on a new one. *A space designed to provide comprehensive, dignified, and humanized care for cancer patients. Panama, April 14, 2026. There was nervousness, but everything went as planned,” he expressed.
Since its opening, the unit has attended to nine patients, who have begun to receive specialized care focused on pain management and comprehensive accompaniment.
With this initiative, the National Oncology Institute, Minsa, and CSS reiterate the importance of placing the patient at the center of care, ensuring adequate spaces for both users and health personnel.
