Panama's Ministry of Health receives funds for shift payments

Three weeks ago, the Minister of Health, Fernando Boyd, stated that a transfer of $23 million was being processed with the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) to cover the October shift payments. However, the reality was different. Now, with these approved $16 million, the July shift payments for employees of health centers and policenters, as well as the August and September shifts for all national health personnel, will be paid. Initially, the MEF managed $3 million, which was used to pay the July shift to personnel working in hospitals. Gaudencio Rodríguez, director of Finance of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), detailed that they had originally requested $36 million from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), which was not in the budget, to pay officials. As there were no funds, the MEF was willing to pay for three months; however, the Minsa requested to cover the payments for July, August, September, and October. The monthly payment for public servers who must work in non-business hours in Minsa health facilities amounts to $7 million. Last Wednesday, the Budget Commission of the Assembly approved a transfer of $16 million to meet the obligations of health professionals. Bonuses The Budget Commission also approved a transfer of $12.2 million, intended to pay productivity bonuses to Minsa personnel. However, the month of October remains pending. The October shifts will be the last ones paid with this year's budget, as the shifts for November and December were included in the 2026 budget as expired commitments, promised to be paid no later than January, said the Director of Finance of Minsa. "We are looking for savings to be able to pay it," Rodríguez acknowledged, with only five weeks left until the end of the year. The extraordinary shifts of the health personnel of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) continue to represent an admirable effort for this entity, since the resources are not budgeted, and they have to be obtained by any means necessary. In total, 18,369 officials will be paid, of which 4,300 are administrative.