Panama hospital begins cataract surgery evaluations for patients facing long waits

The ophthalmology department at Hospital Dr. Rafael Estévez in Aguadulce, Coclé province, has initiated medical evaluations for approximately 50 patients who will benefit from an upcoming cataract surgery campaign. These selected individuals, ranging in age from 50 to 90, have been waiting between two and four years for this crucial procedure.

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this massive surgical intervention plan is specifically designed to reduce the surgical backlog in the region of Coclé and offer an effective response to people with serious vision problems.

Medical authorities at the hospital stated that this large-scale surgical plan is designed to significantly reduce the surgical backlog in the Coclé region. It aims to offer an effective solution for individuals suffering from severe vision impairments.

Hospital medical director Dr. Omar De Icaza explained that the protocol includes both insured and uninsured patients. Before surgery, beneficiaries must complete a week-long series of mandatory clinical evaluations. These include specialized ophthalmology assessments, laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, and final diagnostic reviews by the internal medicine department.

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the medical care protocol includes both insured and uninsured patients.

The surgeries are scheduled to begin next Friday. The patient allocation is divided between 30 individuals from the Aguadulce district and 20 from Penonomé. Several patients shared the difficulties they encountered due to a lack of specialists in other provinces, with some having to travel to the Chitré polyclinic for initial diagnoses and documentation for severe symptoms like acute pain and eye itching.

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they had to travel to the polyclinic of Chitré, in the province of Herrera, to receive initial diagnoses and process documentation due to severe symptoms such as acute pain and eye itching in both eyes.