Panama’s Social Security Fund board has approved the construction of a new tower for the National Cancer Institute. The decision, confirmed on December 4, 2025, answers years of urgent calls from patient advocacy groups who describe the current overcrowded facilities as critically inadequate for the nation’s needs.
Project plans detail a nine-story tower to be built behind the institute’s existing location within the City of Health complex. This expansion aims to centralize and significantly increase capacity for chemotherapy, outpatient clinics, and specialized laboratory services. Officials frame the approval as a pivotal step in modernizing Panama’s oncology care infrastructure.
“This is a step forward in the fight against cancer,” said Alicia Luaces of the National Association of Chemotherapy Patients. [Translated from Spanish] Luaces emphasized the growing patient population, warning that numbers could double within seven years without major infrastructure investment.
Construction will proceed under a cooperative agreement between the Ministry of Health and the Social Security Fund (Panama). Health Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo stated the project focuses on optimizing services at the City of Health to ensure better national coverage for cancer patients. The new tower is designed to include an outpatient chemotherapy room with 90 chairs and eight beds for prolonged treatments.
Addressing a Long-Standing National Need
The current National Cancer Institute (Panama) facilities have been a temporary solution since 1999. They were originally ceded by the old Gorgas Hospital while planners worked on a permanent, purpose-built cancer hospital. That project stalled for decades, leaving the institute to operate from outdated and dispersed buildings.
Patient leaders have expressed cautious optimism, noting this is not the first attempt to build a new institute. Luaces recalled previous models and plans that ultimately failed to materialize. The need, however, is undeniable. The institute treats roughly 300 patients daily, with about 20 new patients admitted each day. This strain on the system has been a central concern for the social security fund and health advocates.
The new tower will be situated next to the existing Dr. Adán Ríos Cancer Hospital. Its specialized areas will include clinical and molecular laboratories for hematology services. Officials also reaffirmed a parallel strategy to establish oncology units in regional hospitals as more specialists are trained, aiming to decentralize care.
“We’ve had models, plans… and in the end, nothing ever comes of it,” Luaces noted, expressing hope that this approval will finally lead to tangible progress. [Translated from Spanish]
Diagnostic services like CT scans, MRIs, and Positron Emission Tomography (PET scan) will continue at the Ancon facilities in the old Gorgas building. This separation of diagnostic and treatment centers underscores the logistical challenges the new tower seeks to resolve. The expansion is seen as vital for improving early detection rates, a key factor in cancer survival, as highlighted in previous reports on national cancer diagnosis timelines.
This infrastructure project represents a major commitment in Panama’s broader fight against non-communicable diseases. Its approval follows a pattern of recent health system initiatives, though it also arrives amid ongoing public scrutiny over governance, similar to cases involving another former representative sanctioned for misconduct. The government now faces the task of moving swiftly from approval to construction, transforming a long-awaited blueprint into a functioning hospital that can meet the growing demand for oncology care.