The organization of the system, the distribution of units, and the capacity to respond in critical moments are all key factors, as indicated by the Deputy Minister of Health, Manuel Zambrano Chang. There are areas where securing blood on time remains a challenge, especially in remote areas. Another point of concern is the management of blood banks. This Tuesday, health authorities met to address a problem that is not new but continues to hit hard: the blood shortage in several parts of the country. The issue is delicate. Without more donors and improvements in management, the blood supply will continue to be a pending debt that is often paid in silence. The Director General of Public Health, Yelkys Gill, emphasized that blood banks are an essential component of healthcare. She pointed out that their operation directly impacts the response capacity of hospitals and emergency services, where the availability of blood can define the outcome for a patient. Meanwhile, Erika Zhong, head of the Transfusion Medicine Department, explained that these drives aim to drive continuous improvements in blood management. She indicated that the goal is to consolidate a more efficient, transparent, and patient-centered system. From the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), its representative in Panama, Ana Riviére Cinnamond, stated that the joint work is aimed at ensuring a continuous blood supply. She detailed that key aspects such as donor recruitment, reducing barriers, strengthening logistics, and efficient distribution, especially in hard-to-reach areas, are being analyzed. Blood donation does not meet the real demand of hospitals, where patients daily depend on transfusions for surgeries, emergencies, and treatments. Without this resource, doctors are left with no choice but to wait or prioritize cases. In the midst of this situation, it was recognized that the problem is not just a lack of donors. The lack of blood in Panama is once again sounding the alarm within the health system. While it is scarce in some places, in others, blood is lost due to expiration. A lack of control over inventories and logistics worsens an already complex situation. The scenario makes it clear that the problem remains open.
