Buenas!
Today we visted a psych mental health institute in Panama City. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences between how American and Panamanian health care systems treat and house patients with psychiatric illnesses. In the first area of the clinic, the patients who were there were for long term care and were predominantly schizophrenics. The clinic is for patients only 18 and older, and the facility does not have an area for children and teenagers.
In the other building of the clinic, we saw more crisis intervention with people who are in their "acute phase" of illness. If the acute case is so severe, the Panamanian nurses will put the patient in four point restraints, and medicate the patient for 72 hours. I thought this was interesting, because we do no do this in the states. The nurses said that the crisis intervention works well, and they use the restraints to promote safety among the patients.
Later in the day we got to shop around and visit an artisan shop, where there are authentic Panamanian gifts like purses, table runners and native jewelry. Alot of the stores are run by people of the Kuna tribe, a native tribe of Panama.
All in all we have been having an amazing time here in this beautiful country, and we will continue to work hard and immerse ourselves in the culture until the day we leave.
Ciao!
Ashley
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