Third Muelatón dental campaign in northern Panama and San Miguelito highlights high demand for care

More than 200 people received dental care during the third Muelatón campaign held in northern Panama and San Miguelito, highlighting the backlog facing local health centers.

The Policentro de Salud de San Isidro and the Torrijos Carter Health Center hosted the Sunday campaign. More than 150 patients attended in San Isidro, while over 50 received care in Torrijos Carter. The organizers limited treatment to users whose appointments had already been scheduled but could not be completed on earlier dates.

Care began at 5 a.m. under an assigned-appointment system designed to prevent the outdoor lines seen during the first campaign. Staff registered each patient and measured blood pressure before the extraction. Patients with elevated readings were postponed and given new appointments to protect their safety during the surgical procedure.

Alexia Solís, regional health director for northern Panama, said the campaigns began in August to address the volume of pending requests at primary-care centers. The three editions have shown strong demand for oral-health services in northern Panama and the district of San Miguelito.

The San Miguelito Regional Health Directorate said it plans to continue scheduling these extraordinary dental-care initiatives into next year.

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These campaigns began in August to respond to the volume of pending requests at primary-care centers.