One of the students who was affected by aerial spraying (crop duster fumigation) in the community of El Pedernal, district of Santiago, is still under medical observation at the Luis “Chicho” Fábrega Regional Hospital of Veraguas. On Thursday, about 15 students and five teachers were hospitalized after a helicopter crop dusted a nearby rice paddy. For now, the rest of the students in the community are reeling from the discomfort as a result of exposure to the chemical. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: Apparently the rice paddy is located right next to the school grounds, and the prevailing winds carried the chemicals into the school. Those affected had dizziness, nausea, headaches, and vomiting - all of the classic signs of nerve agents. Most insecticides are based on watered down variations of nerve agents, and they just kill bugs because they are smaller critters.

Starting tomorrow, the Children's Hospital will have a new medical director, Paul Gallardo, for a period of five years which may be extended. Gallardo was chosen from among four candidates by the members of the Board of the Children's Hospital, last May. The new director of of the specialty children's medical center was responsible for the leadership of the hospital nursery. Among the projects that are pending to be performed by Gallardo, are the construction of the new Children's Hospital in the grounds of the former U.S. Embassy, and the first phase of construction will begin in 2013. Gallardo replaces Alberto Bissot (the current director) who had remained at the head of the medical institution for 10 years, since 2002. It was reported that Bissot, as of tomorrow, will become head of the neonatal unit of the children's medical center. (Siglo)

The Ministry of Economy and Finance recommended a budget of $1.5 billion dollars for the Ministry of Health for FY2013, which means an increase of $213 million more than in 2012. "The new budget will increase funding for public hospitals," said Health Minister Javier Diaz, who added his opinion to the Budget Committee of the National Assembly. Furthermore, Diaz reported that his administration will develop a bill to merge the Social Security Fund and the MoH, but it will be left to the next government to implement it. (Panama America)

The president, Ricardo Martinelli along with the director of the Social Security Fund, Guillermo Sáez Llorens attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new Hemodialysis Ward of the Local Unit of Primary Health Care (ULAPS) of San Cristobal in the district of Rio Abajo. This new Hemodialysis ward is part of a construction, renovation, and equipping project of about 16 wards to be built nationwide. Through these new wards they will offer a better service to patients with renal failure. At the ceremony were present the Minister of Health, Javier Diaz and other national government authorities. (Critica)

Visits at the Dr. Aquilino Tejeira hospital in Penonomé were restricted after the detection last week of the bacteria Clostridium difficile in this health center. The bacteria, which usually strikes people over 70 years of age, causing diarrhea, has been detected in three patients and a fourth case is under study.

SAFETY - Edwin Rojas, director of the hospital, said visits are only being allowed from 2:00 to 3:00 pm for the safety of patients and their families. He points out that the public should not be alarmed, because the bacteria is under control, and they are taking preventive measures. (Siglo)

In late September 2012, the Social Security Fund (CSS) will assume control of the Teaching Hospital in the area of 24 de Diciembre, said on Tuesday, August 28, the General Director of the entity, Guillermo Saez Llorens. The official said control of the hospital, located in the Eastern part of the province of Panama, could be included in the merger of the CSS with the Ministry of Health. However, this is still a topic of discussion, he said. Saéz Llorens said because the Hospital in 24 de Diciembre provides the service to 80 percent of the insured in the area, the CSS could assign specialties to de-congest the Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital Complex in Panama City. (Estrella)

Relatives of the victims of KPC bacteria went to the Attorney General's Office to appeal and to ask for the investigation to be expedited. The lawyer Victor Martinez said that despite the accumulation of the complaints, the Attorney General Jose Ayu Prado has not initiated an investigation against Guillermo Saez-Llorens and the other managers of the Social Security Fund. (Telemetro)

The rotations made by President Ricardo Martinelli are not liked by everyone. The appointment of the Director of Medical Services, Javier Diaz as the new Minister of Health, is rejected by the members of the National Association of Administrative Officers of the Social Security Fund (Anfacss). This was stated on Thursday morning, 16 August 2012, by Gerardo Gonzalez, the Secretary General of the ANFACSS, who said the move is "disturbing and reckless." He said the union will hold a meeting to issue a statement on the subject, because according to the Association, the current administration has left the hospitals that make up the entity "on the edge of chaos." According to Gonzalez, the Association believes Diaz should be removed from office, in a trial process. He said, referring to the deaths caused by the KPC bacterium, that "if this was a decent country in which there is respect for democratic rights and the right to life, this doctor should be imprisoned."

On the other hand, he said they oppose a merger between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the CSS.

Meanwhile, the President of the Association of Employees of the Social Security Fund (SETAs), Priscilla Vasquez, announced today they will hold a picket at the premises of the Hospital Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid over the case of "unfair dismissals" during the last strike held by medical associations. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: I agree. The appointment of Diaz as the Health Minister was a massive mistake. He failed to act in a crisis, and instead decided to try to cover up the existence of the KPC bacteria, potentially causing dozens of needless deaths. He is absolutely the wrong choice to replace Vergara as the new Minister of Health. There are hundreds if not thousands of doctors in Panama - and any one of them would have been a better choice than this guy.

Following the official announcement that Javier Diaz will be the new Minister of Health, the medical associations who are part of the National Negotiating Medical Commission (Comenenal), will make a statement tomorrow. Diaz, who since 2009 has served as the Director of Medical Care for the Social Security Fund (CSS), will take over as the new Health Minister on 20 August 2012, according to a statement from the State Ministry of Communication. Fernando Castaneda, a spokesman for Comenenal, said the union will hold a meeting where management will evaluate the outgoing minister, Franklin Vergara and Diaz, who is currently the head of Medical Services of the CSS, and later issue a judgment. In Castaneda's opinion, the appointment of Diaz by President Ricardo Martinelli was not wise, because in order for the Ministry of Health to function properly, it takes a person who is familiar with administration. "The appointment of Dr. Diaz as the minister has not been pleasant", said yesterday the president of the Association of Physicians of the CSS Hospital, Domingo Moreno, who said the officer leaves the institution with serious problems in the area of surgery. (Siglo)

Editor's Comment: I have real heartburn with this Diaz guy. When the KPC bacteria first started killing people in the Arnulfo Arias Madrid Metropolitan Hospital Complex in Panama City, their first reaction was to cover it up. They issued memos trying to prevent the hospital staff and doctors from talking to anyone about it. They didn't know what was going on. They failed to take appropriate and timely action to contain the outbreak - for months. They failed to implement procedures that would have saved dozens of lives. Only AFTER the KPC outbreak was reported in the news did they finally start to do what they should have done months before. They restricted visits, moved and isolated patients, got outside help from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Only after it was in the press. Before that, they were trying to cover it up, hide it, and protect their own asses. Who knows how many people died needlessly, because of their neglect and failure to act. Yeah, screw that guy... And by the way - this is the 18,000th Article published on this website. I like round numbers.

The President, Ricardo Martinelli did not rule out using funds from Taiwan to build the new Children's Hospital. "That hospital is something the Panamanian community needs. Therefore, we must find a way, as soon as possible, to make that a reality," he said. During an interview on Telemetro Report, the president said they will do everything possible, but acknowledged that even though the state budget is already committed, "there is always a way." Today the Government in an official act will deliver to the board of the Children's Hospital the parcel of land where the US Embassy was former located on Ave. Balboa. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: First the government wanted to build a massive office tower complex on that parcel of land, to house all of the government's offices. Then they finally relented, and will turn the land over to the Children's Hospital. Then they said there was no funds to expand the hospital. Now they are saying they will find a way to come up with the money - about $185 million dollars or so.