Photo By Staff Sgt. Abbey Rieves | U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera speaks during the Amistad 2025 closing...... read more read more
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DAVID, Panama – U.S. and Panamanian officials, health professionals and military members gathered to mark the closing of AMISTAD 2025 at Hospital José Domingo de Obaldía in Panama, Sept. 25, 2025.
The ceremony marked the end of a multinational global health engagement that strengthened partnerships, expanded access to care for thousands across the country and improved military readiness.
“AMISTAD is called ‘Friendship’ precisely because we are friends,” said Kevin Marino Cabrera, U.S. Ambassador to Panama. “As we have seen in practice, Panamanian and Americans worked shoulder to shoulder—sharing knowledge, repairing equipment, painting walls, installing air conditioners, and, above all, caring for patients with dedication and respect. Each child treated, each adult diagnosed, each family supported is a reminder that health is a bridge between our nations. We leave Chiriquí with satisfaction, but above all with the conviction that the friendship between Panama and the United States is stronger today than ever.”
In Panama, AMISTAD teams treated more than 1,300 patients, delivered $200,000 in care, logged 2,700 readiness hours, and repaired over 100 pieces of medical equipment. It was a demonstration of partnership in action, as U.S. and Panamanian teams expanded access to care while building sustainable capacity.
“This project is more than a medical tour—it symbolizes solidarity, friendship and collaboration between our peoples,” said Dr. Manuel Zambrano, Panama’s Vice Minister of Health. “Volunteers from Panama and the United States came together to bring hope, dignity and specialized care to those who need it most. The improvements made—from equipment repairs to expanded services—are not just for today, they strengthen our system for the future.”
Representing Air Forces Southern, Brig. Gen. Leigh Swanson, Chief of the Air Force Medical Corps, emphasized that the mission was about far more than numbers.
“Here in Panama, we saw how partnership translates into readiness,” Swanson said. “Every surgery, every exchange of expertise, and every act of service was a step toward greater interoperability, stronger relationships, and deeper trust. This is the essence of AMISTAD. It is not a one-time project, but a lasting investment in our shared future.”
Swanson also underscored the mission’s importance for U.S. service members.
“AMISTAD proves that readiness isn’t built in a classroom—it’s built in the field, with partners, solving real-world challenges,” she said. “That’s what prepares us to respond together in times of crisis.”
Across Panama—from Veraguas to Herrera to Chiriquí—AMISTAD 2025 brought specialties like gastroenterology, cardiology, pediatrics, dentistry and neonatal intensive care to patients who often wait months or years for such services. Alongside the clinical impact, U.S. Air Force civil engineers and biomedical equipment technicians worked with Panamanian counterparts to repair equipment and upgrade facilities, leaving behind improvements that will endure long after the mission concludes.
The scope of AMISTAD 2025 highlights its scale: across five nations, the mission has provided care to nearly 5,000 patients, delivered $1.9 million in medical services, logged more than 14,700 readiness hours, and repaired over 200 pieces of equipment—figures that continue to grow as the mission concludes and final days are logged.
As the closing ceremony concluded, Swanson reflected on the mission’s legacy.
“Host nations showed incredible leadership, communities welcomed us with open arms and service members demonstrated compassion, humility, and professionalism,” she said. “Knowledge shared is capability multiplied.”
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2025 21:44 |
| Story ID: | 549360 |
| Location: | DAVID , PA |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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