According to data from the Nicolás A. Solano Hospital, about 1,036 HIV patients attend monthly or quarterly, as per medical advice, to receive their medication. Cristina Gómez, deputy medical director of this hospital, stated that in some cases, the patient arrives at an advanced stage of the virus and an advanced development of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Meanwhile, the head of pharmacy at the retroviral clinic at the Nicolás A. Solano Hospital, Magda Espino, said that an average of 30 patients come daily to receive their medication supply. The age range of patients receiving retroviral therapy medication is 18 years and older, according to Dr. Gómez, who also recommends not mixing alcohol with sexual relations. Prevention and abstinence "are a matter of self-love, it is a matter of respect for health," said the doctor. Most of these patients come from the districts of Arraiján and La Chorrera. The official emphasized the need for people with an active sexual life to get tested for HIV early to detect the disease and start medication. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Gómez, the national HIV program sends medication supplies every three months and, if necessary, an extraordinary supply. With a mortality rate of 0.03%, the province of West Panama ranks third nationally in cases of infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
High Number of HIV Patients in West Panama Province
The Nicolás A. Solano Hospital serves over a thousand HIV patients monthly. Doctors call for early diagnosis and warn about the risks of mixing alcohol with sexual relations.
