Southern Command and CSS Perform Endoscopy and Colonoscopy Day at Hospital in David

The Social Security Fund (CSS) of Panama, in collaboration with medical specialists from the U.S. Southern Command, is carrying out an extraordinary joint initiative of endoscopies and colonoscopies at the Hospital Dr. Rafael Hernández L. in David, Chiriquí. This program is expected to benefit around 100 patients from the provinces of Chiriquí, Veraguas, and Bocas del Toro.

The initiative, which began on July 24 and will continue until August 4, is part of a strategy to significantly decrease waiting times for these essential medical procedures. Dr. Johana Guerra, head of the Gastroenterology Service at the hospital, explained that this coordination aims to reduce the backlog of care and provide comprehensive, high-quality services to insured individuals and patients requiring these studies, which are fundamental for the detection and prevention of cancer.

Dr. Luis Vélez, a gastroenterologist with the U.S. Southern Command, stated that the medical team is collaborating to alleviate the patient load at the hospital. "We are collaborating with the patient load and doing our best to help reduce the waiting list. We are performing 10 to 12 procedures per day, including endoscopies and colonoscopies, for both hospitalized and ambulatory patients," he noted.

The medical director of the hospital, Dr. Reinel Camargo, highlighted that the cooperation with the Southern Command strengthens the hospital's response capacity and contributes to improving the health and quality of life for the population needing these specialized examinations. The CSS emphasized that these types of extraordinary sessions are part of ongoing efforts to expedite care for patients awaiting diagnostic procedures vital for the early detection of gastrointestinal diseases, including colorectal cancer.

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We are collaborating with the patient load and doing our best to help reduce the waiting list. We are performing 10 to 12 procedures per day, including endoscopies and colonoscopies, for both hospitalized and ambulatory patients.