Several University of Mary Washington students spent a few of the first days of 2025 in Central America helping individuals of Panama with essential health care services.
Katrina Zaki, a senior biomedical sciences major and vice president of UMW’s chapter of Global Medical Brigades (GMB), and several fellow Eagles collaborated with the international nonprofit to provide sustainable medical solutions and education in remote and underserved communities.
“I found my GMB experience humbling and am so grateful to be able to help individuals and be surrounded by others who care just as much as I do about health care,” said Zaki, who is also in UMW’s pre-physician assistant program. “The Panamanians are some of the most kindhearted people and I cannot wait to go on the next brigade.”
In early January, Zaki and other Eagles, on the 8th international GMB trip led by UMW students, worked with local medical staff to provide free health and dental care in Panama. The mobile clinic offered health education, triage, diagnosis and treatment for patients who otherwise do not have regular access to medical services. UMW students took vital signs and shadowed physicians in assisting with pharmacy and education of community members with preventative care.
Many of the UMW students provided volunteer service while pursuing careers in medicine or dentistry.
“Many students use their participation to fulfill an academic requirement. While others see it as a steppingstone for medical or dental school opportunities,” said Center for International Education Assistant Director Sarah Moran.
Panama has been in national news lately after now-President Donald Trump claimed just before taking office in late January that the United States has rights to the Panama Canal. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, formerly vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence alongside Virginia Sen. Mark R. Warner when he was chair of the committee, visited Panama and insisted that U.S. ships should not have to pay to use the canal.
The Washington Post reported yesterday that Panama President José Raúl Mulino denied claims by the Trump Administration that Panama would no longer charge American ships.
“I am very taken aback by yesterday’s news release from the State Department. They are making important statements from the entity that controls U.S. foreign affairs based on a falsehood, and that’s intolerable,” Mulino said during his weekly news conference.
Mulino rejected “this method of managing bilateral relations on the basis of lies and falsehoods.”
Yesterday Rubio said the U.S. military would be responsible for defending the canal if ever necessary, because Panama has no army.
“I find it absurd that we would have to pay fees to transit a zone that we are obligated to protect in a time of conflict,” he told reporters while in the Dominican Republic. However, he said he recognizes the process of laws in Panama and “we’ll allow them to work through those processes.”
A treaty signed in 1977 by the U.S. gave Panama full control of the canal as of 1999.
Mulino considers Trump’s plan to transfer the canal back to the U.S. as “impossible.” In a call Wednesday with new U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Mulino expressed Panama is willing to continue to cooperate on immigration control but that his country’s constitution does not permit him to alter tolls for ships traveling through the canal. The U.S. pays less than $10 million a year in canal fees.
“It’s not like the canal tolls are ruining the United States economy,” Mulino said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
