How long will I have to wait for a doctor's appointment in Panama?

If you attend an emergency clinic at one of the hospitals in Panama you may have to wait for maybe 20 minutes to an hour depending on how busy they are. The Santa Fe hospital in Panama City is very good and I went there and was seen within 25 minutes. Good doctors,very thorough and also the cost was very low. They have a private scheme for retirees too at low cost.

If you attend an emergency clinic at one of the hospitals in Panama you may have to wait for maybe 20 minutes to an hour depending on how busy they are. The Santa Fe hospital in Panama City is very good and I went there and was seen within 25 minutes. Good doctors,very thorough and also the cost was very low. They have a private scheme for retirees too at low cost.

From my experience, in private clinics and hospitals, the waiting time at the ER will be around 30 minutes on average, more or less depending on the flow of patients.

 

For scheduled appointments, also in private clinics and hospitals, you will have to wait just a couple of days, a week at the most if the doctor is really occupied.

 

For public health institutions the story is completely different.  While the quality of the service may vary...

From my experience, in private clinics and hospitals, the waiting time at the ER will be around 30 minutes on average, more or less depending on the flow of patients.

 

For scheduled appointments, also in private clinics and hospitals, you will have to wait just a couple of days, a week at the most if the doctor is really occupied.

 

For public health institutions the story is completely different.  While the quality of the service may vary depending on the hospital and / or the doctor, in a public ER the waiting time could be a few hours if they do not consider your case an "emergency".  And for scheduled appointments, the general complaint is that the waiting time is far too long-- weeks, even months.  For a same day appointment in some health centers you would have to be in line to check in from the very early hours in the morning (before 6 am) and wait until it is your turn. I would say this is one of the major inconveniences of the public health system  Otherwise the practice of medicine in the government health institutions is good considering the quality of doctors they have.

 

But since health issues do not wait until a doctor is available, one would probably rather spend some money (if within one's abilities) at a private center in exchange for faster service.

 

 

 

 

For example, if there are no holidays involved and you called on a Monday, you should be able to get an appointment for Tuesday or Wednesday.  For emergency conditions in the general Panama City area, the emergency room is open 24 hours a day.

For example, if there are no holidays involved and you called on a Monday, you should be able to get an appointment for Tuesday or Wednesday.  For emergency conditions in the general Panama City area, the emergency room is open 24 hours a day.

The real answer to how long you would have to wait for a doctor's appointment in Panama is "It depends on the type of medical service needed." 

Panama City is the medical epicenter of Panama.  It has good quality hospitals and many specialists and...

The real answer to how long you would have to wait for a doctor's appointment in Panama is "It depends on the type of medical service needed." 

Panama City is the medical epicenter of Panama.  It has good quality hospitals and many specialists and sub-specialists.  The same cannot be said about the rural cities.

Historically, coming from Montreal, Canada, it is typical to wait up to six months to see a specialist and maybe two months to see a generalist.  However, in Panama, I have been pleasantly surprised by the fact that you do not need to wait long for a doctor's appointment.

 

For instance, recently I needed to see a dermatologist.  I had a referral from a generalist, where I waited only one hour to see the doctor, who then...

Historically, coming from Montreal, Canada, it is typical to wait up to six months to see a specialist and maybe two months to see a generalist.  However, in Panama, I have been pleasantly surprised by the fact that you do not need to wait long for a doctor's appointment.

 

For instance, recently I needed to see a dermatologist.  I had a referral from a generalist, where I waited only one hour to see the doctor, who then proceeded to refer me to the specialist.  I walked into San Fernando Hospital, Consultorios,(where specialists have their offices), looked at the listing of doctors by specialty, chose one, and proceeded to make my way to that floor.  I consulted on  appointment availability and was blessed with an appointment that same day.

 

So if you ask, how long you have to wait for a doctor's appointment, I would answer: not long, indeed!

I have only had experience in David, Panama, making a doctor's appointment. I know that all doctors here must work for the Social Security Hospital on a part-time basis. This means that most of the doctors' private appointments wind up being in the afternoon, as they do the work at the SS hospitals in the morning.

 

You can often be given an appointment for a doctor at Mae Lewis or the Chiriqui Hospital within a few days of calling. What you don't know...

I have only had experience in David, Panama, making a doctor's appointment. I know that all doctors here must work for the Social Security Hospital on a part-time basis. This means that most of the doctors' private appointments wind up being in the afternoon, as they do the work at the SS hospitals in the morning.

 

You can often be given an appointment for a doctor at Mae Lewis or the Chiriqui Hospital within a few days of calling. What you don't know though, is that when they say your appointment is at say 2 PM, what they mean is that everyone who is assigned that day is told to come at 2 PM. And it is a first-come, first-served system. At first, I found this frustrating. I showed up at the designated hour only to wait two and a half hours to see the doctor. However, what I found out was,the wait was well worth it.

 

The doctors here never look at their watches and are there to answer any and all questions you may have. They do a thorough medical diagnosis and follow-up. They will give you their undivided attention until you are completely happy with the appointment ending. As a result, you know that when you wait, everyone who goes before you is getting the same good treatment and you will too.

You do not have to wait too long to see a doctor in Panama. You can see them the same day you called in for an appointment and they can squeeze you in if you have an urgent situation. If it is not too urgent, they can see you the very next day.

A doctor’s appointment here in Panama costs US $40 if you use your descuento de jubilado (discount for retirees). Doctors get your phone number and they will give you their number as well. So if you had a procedure done or if...

You do not have to wait too long to see a doctor in Panama. You can see them the same day you called in for an appointment and they can squeeze you in if you have an urgent situation. If it is not too urgent, they can see you the very next day.

A doctor’s appointment here in Panama costs US $40 if you use your descuento de jubilado (discount for retirees). Doctors get your phone number and they will give you their number as well. So if you had a procedure done or if you saw the doctor a few days ago, he will actually call you to check how you are doing. I can text message with my doctor back and forth. In fact, I was actually running late to my doctor’s appointment yesterday. I texted him on Whatsapp to tell him that I will be 15 minutes late and he replied saying, “No worries. I am running late too. I am not at the office yet.” That is the kind of service you get from doctors here in Panama. You can text them and if you call them, they will surely answer if they are not with a patient.