Doctor Gustavo Santamaría assures that the biggest challenge of the CSS was facing the pandemic

Dr. Gustavo Santamaría, national director of Health Services and Benefits of the Social Security Fund, referred to the projections of the entity, within the framework of the 81 years of its foundation that are celebrated this Thursday.

In the doctor’s opinion, the institution’s greatest challenge during all these years has been to face the first two years of the pandemic and provide care to the insured, since no country was prepared to handle this health crisis.

“In these last two years I think it has been the core point in which almost the previous 79 years were tested, because the fact that we had had that journey and faced a pandemic, full of challenges. Despite the fact that we were focused on the health issue, the Social Security Fund did not stop serving or functioning in its other programs, including Disability, Old Age and Death”, he remarked.

Santamaría indicated that, in these two years, the CSS was reduced by almost 300,000 Panamanians who stopped working and contributing, however, in the sickness and maternity program spending was not stopped, expenses were increased.