The general director of the Social Security Fund (CSS), Dino Mon, stated that the current administration aims to clear the backlog of general medicine and specialist appointments by 2026, a problem he recognized as one of the main challenges for Panama's health system. Mon admitted that last year he underestimated the magnitude of the delay in medical appointments, initially considering it an easy problem to solve. However, he explained that the process depends on multiple links and that a failure in any of them affects the entire care chain. In this context, the official also addressed the fight against the 'mafias' within the institution, noting that they have historically operated in areas such as medication, logistics, and other key services. He indicated that investigations are conducted confidentially to not alert those involved, and asked for the public's understanding due to the lack of public information about these processes. Mon affirmed that the actions taken are already yielding results and that, silently, irregular structures within the CSS are being dismantled, although he acknowledged that active groups still persist. He reiterated his commitment to continue eliminating them sector by sector, with the support of the National Government.
