Healthcare workers at the damaged Aquilino Tejeira Hospital in Penonome City are providing emergency care in outdoor tents, handling a wave of trauma cases and other urgent injuries following a powerful earthquake that jolted Panama on Friday.
Panama declared a state of emergency on Saturday to coordinate relief efforts across affected communities as researchers recorded more than 200 aftershocks following the magnitude-7.5 quake.
The hospital suffered structural damage, including an interior collapse in the operating room that forced staff to suspend all surgeries, according to Alex Barrio, head of the hospital's emergency department.
"We've been in a rather tense situation since the earthquake. We voluntarily evacuated all the patients with the staff's support. We set up tents and makeshift shelters. In the hospital parking, we are providing emergency care as well as maternity services. At the back of the hospital, we also have inpatient care in modular units, including recovery units. We are not performing operations at the moment because the operating room was affected by a collapse inside," said Barrio.
Pregnant women, patients with fractures and others in urgent need of medical care are prioritized at the hospital. The hospital has received donations of food, sheets, sanitary products and drinking water to support its earthquake relief efforts.
"I think this is the first time we've experienced an earthquake of this magnitude in this province. Pregnant women, people with fractures and cases that truly require emergency medical attention are the ones we're receiving here. We want to thank everyone who has brought us supplies, including food, diapers, sheets, sanitary pads, beverages and water. We are still accepting donations, and honestly, for now, we're doing okay. We haven't had any serious injuries, but we have had trauma cases," said Caballero, a doctor.
Panama's healthcare workers mobilize emergency care for quake victims amid hospital damage
