Worried About Medical Services In Panama

By Sally Royle, January 2007.

As in other areas of Panamanian culture, the medical & dental services are, in the main, provided by friendly, well trained staff in modern, up-to-date hospitals & clinics.

The provision of quality health care is a number one priority when deciding on a country in which you would be comfortable to retire in, or for anyone considering a move or just purchasing a holiday home.

In the main, health care in Panama is first rate and is considerably cheaper than in the USA. The average rate for an appointment with a consultant, in Chiriqui is $30. Most consultations will last as long as you need and most consultants will endeavor to assist as much as possible. They will give home phone numbers for emergencies and are more than happy to visit you in your own home if you are unable to attend the hospital.

They will organize nurses to attend you at home for the provision of IV drips etc. If you wish to avoid a hospital stay.

An example of operation costs would be $650 for an exploratory operation for uterine cancer in Chiriqui, & $5,000 for a pacemaker replacement by a consultant cardiologist in Panama City.

The cost of hospital stays is vastly cheaper than in the USA. The two main hospitals in David, (about 40mins from Boquete) are Chiriqui Hospital & Mae Lewis. Both are well equipped & efficiently run. There can be some translation problems as most nurses cannot peak english, but they are more than happy to find someone to translate. Chiriqui hospital was completed in 2006 and has recently acquired an MRI machine. The cost of an MRI scan there is in the region of #150.

Both Chiriqui and Mae Lewis have comprehensive medical insurance plans, again, at a considerably reduced rate, when compared to the costs in the USA. As always, one must be careful to read the plan very carefully to ensure that it covers all your needs. Some plans only cover the cost of one visit per month and will contribute to the cost of visiting a doctor.

An appointment with an English speaking doctor in Boquete (Dr Pertelt, for instance) will cost in the region of $15 and again, is more than happy to make home visits and emergency care.

The local clinic in Boquete is staffed by extremely helpful and well trained doctors. Whilst the clinic is always busy and well attended by the local Panamanians, 'Gringos' tend to get taken to the front of the queue. Again, translation can sometimes be a problem, but the doctors endeavor to assist as much as possible.

Boquete now boasts an up-to-date laboratory for blood, urine tests etc, and response is extremely fast with results within a day.

Most medicines are available in Panama, but it is best to ask a pharmacist whether the particular drug you need is stocked. Sometimes drugs are known by another name. The provision of optaites and other strong painkillers is strictly monitored and often difficult to obtain. It is wise to ensure you always have a sufficient stock of pills on hand. The import of any new drug is again strictly controlled and it is not easy to arrange importations.

By Sally Royle, January 2007