Panama earthquake forces medical staff to use barber bus for premature infants

Following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Panama, medical personnel in Chitré are using a mobile barber shop bus to care for premature infants. The earthquake caused damage to 24 health centers across the country, forcing many hospitals to treat patients outdoors under temporary tents provided by the government and international aid.

The vehicle, known as ‘Boss Barber’, was donated by a private entrepreneur to serve as a provisional neonatal unit. It currently houses three premature babies who require specialized climate control and medical equipment, such as CPAP machines, to assist with lung development and prevent heat-related complications.

To ensure stable temperatures for the newborns, additional air conditioning units were installed in the matte black bus. The situation in Chitré is representative of the broader crisis in the Azuero Peninsula, where medical staff continue to work in improvised street and park settings due to the structural damage to local healthcare facilities.