Clinical studies and AI: the sectors that can consolidate Panama as an economic health ‘hub’

Panama meets key geographic and technological conditions to consolidate itself as a strategic health center in Central America and the Caribbean. Faced with structural challenges such as the shortage of radiologists—with a regional average of only 1.5 to 2 specialists per 100,000 inhabitants—the implementation of cutting-edge technology and efficiency in public spending emerge as essential drivers to transform patient care.

This was stated by Bryan Rossi, regional director of Lunit for Latin America; Patrick Eckert, Area Head of Roche Pharma for Latin America and the Caribbean; and Fernando Ruiz, Roche Public Policy leader, during exclusive interviews with The Star of Panama at the Roche Press 2026 meeting in Costa Rica.

One of the most concrete experiences of Panamanian progress lies in the alliance that began in 2023 between health authorities and Lunit, a South Korean firm specialized in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the detection of breast and chest cancer. This platform annually processes more than 200,000 studies in the Social Security Fund (CSS) and the Ministry of Health (Minsa).

“In Latin America we have a notorious deficit of specialists that causes fatigue in doctors and leaves room for human error or overlooked cases. AI acts as a support tool that analyzes breast density and identifies malignant lesions, prioritizing images with a 90% probability of risk so that radiologists can immediately attend to urgent cases,” explained Bryan Rossi.

Rossi revealed that in Panama the tool has made it possible to rescue cases in which the initial review did not show clear findings, but which when filtered by the platform revealed early malignancies, allowing patients to be called in time.

“Panama has become a reference site for its capacity for technological adoption. AI is not coming to replace the doctor, but rather to provide certainty and accelerate an accurate and timely diagnosis,” he said.

Patrick Eckert agreed that artificial intelligence and the unification of the digital medical record position Panama as a hub of innovation.

“By connecting the systems and incorporating algorithms in diagnostic readings, we reduce the mammographic evaluation time from 40 to just 10 minutes. This allows us to shorten waiting lists that in the region usually take up to 7 months between diagnosis and treatment, reducing them to just a few days,” explained Eckert.

In addition to accelerating care, Eckert emphasized that connecting health data optimizes drug purchasing and inventory, bringing efficiency to fiscal management.

In terms of scientific research, Fernando Ruiz highlighted that the country has high-level clinics and a medical team trained to lead clinical trials in the region. This not only attracts foreign investment, but also allows innovative therapies to be tested on the local population before they go on the market.

However, Eckert cautioned about the importance of continuity. “The crucial thing is to guarantee that, at the end of the clinical study, the State ensures that the patient maintains the treatment,” he said.

Despite the achievements in digital health, the state health budget remains a pending issue. Panama maintains health spending less than 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), Ruiz warned.

This gap is accentuated when budget cuts are made to the health sector to redirect funds to the political structure. Roche’s Public Policy leader commented that the neglect of the state budget increases families’ “out-of-pocket expenses” and generates an “invisible bill” that ends up being paid with preventable deaths and work disability.

“Panama has an enormous will to continue investing. The challenge now is to sustain efficiency, consolidate technology and ensure that innovation reaches all Panamanians,” said Ruiz.

For Roche’s Public Policy leader, if States want to guarantee sustained economic growth and reduce inequality gaps in Latin America, they must transform their view of the health sector. Health, he maintained, ceased to be a simple social assistance service to become an essential pillar of competitiveness and human capital.

One of the main paradigms to overthrow in the region is the false dichotomy between health spending and economic stability. “When a person gets sick, they lose work time and productivity. The healthier we are, the more possibilities we have to contribute to production and generate resources,” Ruiz explained.

Added to this panorama is an accelerated demographic change. Although the average life expectancy in Latin America has increased to 77 years, the quality of that longevity remains poor. “Today, the last ten years of people’s lives pass without adequate health. Having unhealthy aging prevents us from continuing to be productive and useful to society,” he added.

With a declining birth rate throughout the region, keeping the adult population healthy and actively working becomes essential to avoid the collapse of social protection and pension systems.