"Hopefully we do not need it, but if it comes, we will be prepared," said the director of the CSS, Enrique Lau.
The Social Security Fund ( CSS ) is preparing to face an increase in
COVID-19 cases in Panama, considering the reality of countries such as
Costa Rica, Chile, India, among others, where the health system has collapsed.
This Monday, the director of the CSS, Enrique Lau, sent a circular to all institutional directors and doctors of hospitals, polyclinics, Local Units of Primary Health Care (ULAPS), and Centers for Health Care, Promotion and Prevention ( CAPPS), where it instructs them to be alert to possible changes in the
COVID-19 infection figures, and establishes tasks for each one.
Among the requirements are: comply with the daily report of occupied beds in the ward, UCRE and ICU; updated inventory of high-flow equipment, such as fans; updated inventory of personal protective equipment (PPE); preparation of local contingency plan; expedited delivery of bodies to relatives; keep the situation room of each health entity active.
We have already given instructions, as of yesterday, that the entire system has to begin to adjust, to accelerate the processes of maintenance and rehabilitation of the infrastructure, review of all the equipment, assurance of the inventories of the biosafety equipment, medicines, etc. Hopefully we don't need it, but if it comes, we will be prepared, Lau said.
He reiterated that while it is true, in recent weeks Panama has had a drop in the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths from
COVID-19, the possibility of a third wave is a real risk.
Unlike what is happening in neighboring countries, which are obviously very close to the collapse of the health system, we see this as a sign of great concern, the possibility that we have an increase in the number of cases is there, because the virus has not gone away, we have not defeated it, said the director of the CSS.
This was predicted by the authors of a scientific study published in a British medical journal.
Between 60 and 70 percent of “third wave” COVID deaths and hospitalizations will be from people who were fully vaccinated, according to the study. But don’t hold your breath waiting for stats to come out on number of Adverse Events and Deaths of those fully vaccinated yet contracting Covid and/or one of the variants. Can you even imagine if that came out — talk about crimes against humanity for coercing for jabs only to have disastrous after-effects? Something could really hit the fan!