Ministry of Health complies with the payment of overtime hours

As the entity responsible for guaranteeing medical services in the country, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) maintains constant communication with all medical professionals who provide care to the Panamanian population, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this sense, the Minsa has dialogued with the National Association of Nurses of Panama (Anep), to address their concerns, managing to comply with everything agreed in terms of permanence and overtime payments, recognizing the rights of these professionals for their commendable work at community service.

Dr. Yelkis Gil, director of Provision of the Minsa, explained that the budget for the payment of the extraordinary days of health professionals is reviewed monthly, according to the information sent by hospitals, health centers and regional addresses throughout the country. country.

Last week, the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, made a statement of transfer of departure in the National Assembly, to guarantee the payment of the extraordinary shifts of May and June, and the budget is in place for July and August. Only the month of September is pending, which is in progress and whose information has not yet been sent by the health facilities and regions.

Anayda Muñoz, director of Human Resources at the Minsa, stated that since last December payments have been made for $ 10 million, corresponding to the term expired since 2009, to nurses and health professionals. He added that a first group was completed in April 2021 and now in July the second phase began, which has not yet concluded, because there are more than a thousand additional forms that are being canceled.

The contract status of more than 100 nurses has been changed to permanent, of which 90% started in March 2020. Ms. Muñoz pointed out that in July the specialties of a group of nurses were updated, complying with the agreements established with the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, and the interdisciplinary group that participated in the negotiation table.

Regarding the strengthening of primary care, the Minsa reports that it never suspended the entire outpatient consultation, but was minimized by Covid-19 for patient safety, and instead Teleconsultation and Telemedicine were implemented, serving more than 10,586 people online and virtually.