Damaged Panama hospital treats patients in outdoor tents after earthquake

Healthcare workers at the Aquilino Tejeira Hospital in Penonome City are providing emergency care in outdoor tents after a powerful earthquake struck Panama on Friday.

The country declared a state of emergency on Saturday to coordinate relief efforts in affected communities, while researchers recorded more than 200 aftershocks following the magnitude-7.5 quake.

The hospital sustained structural damage, including an interior collapse in its operating room, forcing staff to suspend all surgical procedures.

Alex Barrio, head of the emergency department, said patients were evacuated with the support of hospital staff. Emergency and maternity services are now being provided in tents in the hospital parking area, while inpatient and recovery units have been moved to modular facilities.

Pregnant women, patients with fractures and others requiring urgent medical attention are being given priority. Doctors said no serious injuries had been reported so far, although the hospital has received numerous trauma cases.

The facility has also received donations of food, drinking water, sheets and sanitary products to support its emergency operations.

According to CCTV+, medical staff continue to provide urgent care in temporary facilities despite damage to the hospital and ongoing aftershocks.