Ibero-American Family Medicine Summit concludes in Guatemala

The event, which began yesterday, seeks to position specialization as a key factor for the transformation of health systems in the twenty-first century, according to the content of virtual panels and workshops on the agenda.

During the opening, Guatemalan Minister of Health, Francisco Coma, defined the meeting as necessary to build a better infrastructure for the health services network in this Central American country.

“This summit comes to enhance the knowledge of our health professionals and joint efforts among institutions to reach all parts of the country, despite the distance and difficulty of access,” Kuma said.

“It is an honor for me to share with experts who have helped reform the systems of many countries. Having the support and conviction of more than one institution to integrate family and community medicine in our country is comforting,” he said.

Among the goals of the meeting are promoting progress towards universal access to health services and institutionalizing family medicine to enhance skills and quality as well as the profile of specialists and the system, according to the organizers.

This Friday’s program includes a political committee that includes representatives from Guatemala’s Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (Mspas) and the Pan American Health Organization.

Likewise, lessons learned around the world will be addressed for the implementation and application of community-based family medicine in Guatemala, and the sustainability of its strategy beyond the governments and experiences of Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Spain in this regard.

Finally, the conclusions and recommendations will be shared as a plan of action after two days of learning and dialogue between experts and participants.

The organization of the summit was in charge of Mspas and the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security.

L / mm