A historic milestone in Panamanian medicine marks the thousandth kidney transplant performed in the country, of which 963 were done at the Social Security Fund (CSS).
“I have received a second chance at life,” said an emotional Jauriseth Díaz, a patient who received a transplant four months ago.
“Thank God I have had a transplant, the Social Security Fund is the best, because they take great care of the patient, always paying attention to the medications. It makes me want to cry, because it is a second chance at life,” she said with a broken voice.
“It is a new opportunity in life, one longs for that call, that news, and I had the opportunity to have a better quality of life, to be useful to society and to return to work in an orderly manner,” emphasized Luis De Gracia, who was transplanted 5 years ago.
“Thanks to God, to the Fund and to the donor who gave the kidney altruistically, who gave me this second chance, which has been wonderful,” he said.
The CSS has played an important role in this achievement, as its National Transplant Laboratory has provided specialized services to the thousand transplant patients.
The remaining thousand transplants have been performed in certified private hospitals, mostly by doctors and nursing staff who are, or have been, part of the CSS and who received training at the institution.
One of the greatest achievements of the transplant program is that it has successfully integrated the service to the insured and uninsured population, since it manages a single waiting list for a kidney.
Kidney transplantation is considered one of the most important advances in modern medicine, because it provides years of survival, with a high quality of life for patients suffering from kidney failure.
Dr. Ihamir Duarte, a psychiatrist and national transplant coordinator at CSS, explained that behind each transplant there are nephrologists, urologists, anesthesiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, hospital transplant coordinators, cardiologists, psychiatrists, clinical and surgical nurses and social workers, among others.
For her part, Dr. Michelle Quirós, national transplant deputy coordinator at CSS, explained that with a deceased donor, 5 to 6 people can be helped to return to work, recover their functions, share and work for society.
