Panamanian sign language course for health personnel

As part of the strategies to achieve accessible communication for people with hearing disabilities, the Social Security Fund (CSS), launches the Panamanian Sign Language (LSP) course "Rompiendo Barreras", aimed at health personnel from Primary Care.

The development of this project seeks that health personnel, which is the main axis of care, become aware and empathic when receiving a deaf person, which reaffirms respect for the right to health of this population.

The initiative is part of the plans to strengthen accessibility to services, which is carried out under the strategic coordination between the National Directorate of Attention to the Insured, the Office for Equalization of Opportunities and the National Sub-Directorate of Primary Health Care.

The Vice Minister of Culture, Lcdo. Gabriel González, who participated in the launch of this project, said that «I have to thank the work that has been done here, it is very important for us and within the Ministry of Culture, part of our objective is to enter into Inclusive Culture, with people with disabilities, also vulnerable groups, indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants, among others ”.

“I am proud of director Lau who has been able to provide this opportunity, so that people with disabilities can have, feel in inclusion, in this cases deaf people through Sign Language, also to the Office of Equalization of Opportunities, the community Deaf who has been able to work on this, ”said González, who stated that in Panama there are about 60 thousand deaf people.

In this sense, the general director of the CSS, Dr. Enrique Lau Cortés, indicated that it is very important to train our employees so that they know how to communicate with people with hearing disabilities and can guide them appropriately, in such a way that we comply with the Objectives of Sustainable Development that seek to reduce inequality and allow people to feel part of and to maximize their talent; I am happy with this program and I hope to be able to disseminate it throughout the CSS at the national level.