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Preventive care in Panama

Last activity 19 November 2024 by robertbrucegillies

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Cheryl

Hello everyone,

As an expat in Panama, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on preventive care in Panama, so as to best take care or your health as an expat and navigate the local healthcare system.

Here are a few questions to start with:

What preventive care plans and measures are available in Panama?

Can expats easily access preventive healthcare services?

Does health insurance cover preventive care in Panama or is there any other scheme available? Any tips to choose the right plan?

How to get informed about preventive care plans or events: any useful website, hotline, or media that you’ve found helpful?

What is the local attitude towards preventive care and how did you adjust to it?

Share your experiences and tips to help fellow expats.

Thank you for your contribution.

Cheryl
Expat.com Team

robertbrucegillies

The best preventive care is to eat a good diet and get enough of exercise. I never go to the doctor and I take no medications. It has worked pretty well for me and I am 83 years old. I don't have any insurance except for Medicare which I have never used. Once I had a small accident and needed some stitches but I went to the local hospital for that. They charged me next to nothing for the stitches (1.75 to be exact). Of course we are all going to die someday so is going to the doctor and getting a bunch of tests going to prolong my life? I have my doubts. In December of this year I will have been in Panama for 25 years. I have no desire whatsoever of returning to the US. Many of the people I used to know back there are now in the cemetery. Anyway here where I live in Volcan, Chiriqui lots of fresh fruits and vegetables are available year round so you can take advantage of that and have a healthy diet. I was looking at a podcast by a 7th Day Adventist doctor who was one hundred years old. He ate a vegetarian diet plus some eggs and dairy products. Besides his diet he recommended walking two miles everyday. Of course the biggest problem with many people is not the lack of knowledge. We just don't do what we already know we should do. In any case the best preventive care is the care you give to yourself. So are you going to have coffee and donuts for breakfast? Or maybe some oatmeal and fruit and yogurt? And by the way there is a dairy down the road where they make their own natural yogurt.

robertclark55

Congratulations sir! You are just a few who have your genetics.

robertbrucegillies

@robertclark55

Thank you. The other thing with me is that my kids who are 6 and 9 years old still need their father for a few more years so I can't let them down. Not just yet. I need to teach them English.

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