Panama hosts eye surgery mission, restoring sight for 100 patients

A two-week mission in Panama successfully provided complex eye surgeries to approximately 100 patients, offering renewed sight and future possibilities. The initiative, held from August 10-21 at the Ciudad de la Salud, brought together the Panamanian Social Security Fund (CSS), the Ministry of Health, the U.S. Embassy, and the U.S. Southern Command.

Procedures included cornea transplants and surgeries for complicated cases of glaucoma and cataracts. U.S. Ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera emphasized the profound impact of these interventions, stating, "Here you have 80 people who couldn't see and today they can see." He shared the story of a 30-year-old who waited 15 years for a cornea transplant, now able to pursue a new future.

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And here you have 80 people who couldn't see and today they can see. Again, these are cataract operations, cornea transplants. We were talking to the youngest person, who is 30 years old, she is only 30 years old and she spent 15 years waiting for a cornea transplant to be able to see. This person today can see, can have a new future, a new path and continue flourishing within her career. So it transforms lives and again all of this is part of Together for Health, this initiative we launched.

Dino Mon, the general director of the CSS, acknowledged the significant backlog of cases, noting that while the institution had a deficit of around 4,000 cataract surgeries, they had approximately 12,000 to address. He expressed confidence in the consistent progress being made not only in ophthalmology but across various neglected medical conditions.

One patient shared her frustrating journey, recounting multiple instances where surgeries were scheduled but ultimately canceled due to issues like machine malfunctions or administrative oversights. She had sought treatment since 2024, facing delays in different facilities before finally receiving the procedure during the mission. Patients from Chiriquí, Veraguas, Panamá Oeste, and the metropolitan area benefited from the program.

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We have had a deficit of about 4,000 cataracts, but we had approximately 12,000 to attend to in the Social Security Fund. We continue working. As Dr. Ivonne said, it's not just one eye, it's two eyes. So you always end up doubling the figure in some way. But we are, I think, consistently attacking all the issues and not just in ophthalmology, but in different types of conditions that were lagging.