Panama's Health Ministry Proposes Changes to Bill on Extended Health Center Hours

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) will ensure that in each health region, there is at least one primary care facility with extended hours, guaranteeing timely access to basic health services. During the first debate of Bill 19, Minsa presented modifications to two of its articles, mainly concerning extended hours in health centers. Minister of Health Fernando Boyd Galindo requested a more thorough analysis of Bill 19, which was approved in second reading by the National Assembly and seeks to extend operating hours in the Ministry of Health's (Minsa) health centers. «First, a generalized increase in extended hours in health centers is not needed, and second, such an increase must be funded by the budget allocations of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF),» the minister stated. The other proposed modification was to Article 4, stating that: «health centers, sub-centers, polyclinics, Minsa Capsi, and similar establishments will operate in the hours determined by the Ministry of Health, according to the population's needs, installed capacity, availability of human resources, and budgetary resources of each health region». One of the modifications proposed by the institution was to Article 3 of the aforementioned Bill, which now reads: «The Ministry of Health, according to the specific needs of each region, will implement policies for the adequate and sufficient provision of comprehensive health services and the supply of medicines and supplies, in accordance with current health regulations». Boyd Galindo noted that currently, 120 health centers nationwide maintain extended hours through a scheme tailored to the needs of each region, district, and district, especially in areas where it is necessary to provide care after working hours. «The initiative of this bill is good, but it must be analyzed and organized so that the necessary budget is available to implement it,» the minister reiterated. «This must be analyzed».