Six Children in Panama Remain on the Kidney-Transplant Waiting List

PANAMA CITY, November 1, 2026 — Six children treated at Ciudad de la Salud remain on Panama’s kidney-transplant waiting list, according to a recent report that also described a wider gap between the number of people needing a transplant and the number of available organs.

What the report found

More than 300 people in Panama were reported to be waiting for a kidney transplant. The article identified Ciudad de la Salud as the country’s certified center for this surgery and said the limited supply of organs from deceased donors remains a central constraint for children on the list.

The report also noted that the center continually evaluates children with varying degrees of kidney impairment through its outpatient clinic. Being evaluated is not the same as being listed or immediately eligible for a transplant; medical suitability, compatibility and other clinical factors are part of the process.

How living donation is assessed

For a child who may receive a living-donor transplant, parents are generally the first relatives evaluated, followed by other family members when appropriate. Evaluation is a clinical process led by transplant professionals, not a guarantee that a relative will be medically eligible to donate.

Why public understanding matters

Donation reporting should be handled carefully. It is important to distinguish verified medical information from individual appeals circulating online, and to follow official health-system guidance on donation and transplant services. The underlying issue is both medical and social: more organ availability can affect how long patients wait for treatment.

Source: Infobae Panamá