Palo Alto Jo Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 (edited) I have been working with several groups of medical missionaries this last month. Yesterday morning we picked up a group of ten doctors at the David airport in our large van (we have a school bus, a large touring bus, and vans). They asked to stop at a bank to cash traveler's checks and to exchange some foreign currencies. After leaving the bank, they went to Pricesmart to get supplies for their stay here. Around 1 p.m. our hired Panamanian bus driver, a professional who drives even our huge touring bus, was tapped on the back bumper by a car. When they opened the door to inspect the damage, their van was rushed by the passengers from the car that had just rear-ended them. Our doctors were robbed of $8,000 in cash and one passport. We were able to get a license number (photo), and vehicle description, and gave the police the information (a "mere" 4 hour process of paperwork/interviews). I hope they catch the thugs. Crime is indeed rising here, and I hate that. One bad experience like this hurts the reputation of the entire country. I hate to think it, but it is possible it was an "inside job" , that someone from the bank knew we had the cash. Or perhaps the thieves merely watched them go to the bank and took their chances that it might be an amount worth going after. Who knows? But, I will now not open my door if involved in an accident until I am in a safe area, or the police are present. Edited March 21, 2018 by Palo Alto Jo typo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 Thank you for posting this. Bad news for the doctors, and a bad reputation for Panama. Lost passports and large amounts of money stolen really hurt the victims. Were any weapons used (guns, knives, etc.)? Is there anything the community can do to help? Just curious -- what nationality are the medical missionaries? Apologies for all of the questions, but this really ticks me off! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 (edited) The usual MO in these cases is that bad guys were watching the Bank and followed you around from there or tipped their accomplices. A terrible way to say Welcome to Panama ?? Edited March 21, 2018 by Keith Woolford 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcelyn Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I’ve been at Multibank and seen customers walk out the door carrying large amounts of cash visible in their hands. Usually happens on payday Friday. Probably not a good idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 2 hours ago, Bud said: Thank you for posting this. Bad news for the doctors, and a bad reputation for Panama. But lost passports and large amounts of money really hurt the victims. Were any weapons used (guns, knives, etc.)? Is there anything the community can do to help? Just curious -- what nationality are the medical missionaries? Apologies for all of the questions, but this really ticks me off! The director , who had his backpack with money and passport stolen, is American. There may be a few Canadians in the group, as someone needed to exchange currencies. There were no guns involved. The missing money was collected by people in the States donating money to them to be able to make the trip, and no doubt some was the doctor's own money. They have not asked for any help, but I'm sure they'd accept donations if someone were interested. The one big problem we've had all day is that no one answers the phone at the U.S. embassy so we can make an appointment. The director doctor is going to have to fly to PC to get a temporary passport, and that will take at least one night in PC. We just now gave them a website where they can write for an appointment, but it would be nice if the embassy answered their phone!!! Thanks for your thoughts and concern. I think we should all be concerned when something like this happens. Prayers the police get our perpetrators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 Just to be clear, I was not with the group in David. We have a local coordinator in Boquete, staying at the Fundadores , who arranged for our bus driver to pick them up and take them where they requested. I found out about it when they got to the police station to make their report. The doctors proceeded to hold educational clinics today, and are trusting a few of us to set up the necessary appointments, flights, to Panama City, while they continue to offer their free help to the good people of Panama. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 56 minutes ago, Palo Alto Jo said: The one big problem we've had all day is that no one answers the phone at the U.S. embassy so we can make an appointment. The director doctor is going to have to fly to PC to get a temporary passport, and that will take at least one night in PC. We just now gave them a website where they can write for an appointment, but it would be nice if the embassy answered their phone!!! I have reached out to a contact in Citizen Services at the Embassy and asked her to contact Jo. I also will look into the issue of a citizen being unable to reach the Embassy in the event of emergency and will report back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 8 minutes ago, Bonnie said: I have reached out to a contact in Citizen Services at the Embassy and asked her to contact Jo. I also will look into the issue of a citizen being unable to reach the Embassy in the event of emergency and will report back. Thanks so much Bonnie!! I will keep my ears tuned for any phone call or whatsapp text. They called the number Doug and I gave them off the U.S. Embassy website. I do hope they keep the website up to date. We appreciate any help we can get. I was afraid it would take 3 weeks to get a new one, as all passports must be printed in the U.S. But, it seems there is a temporary one that can be procured in 1-2 days in an emergency. Hopefully, contact with a human will answer all our questions. I'll let CL folks know how it all came out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted March 21, 2018 Author Share Posted March 21, 2018 I do have one good piece of news that I should have reported earlier. None of the medicines or free eyeglasses they brought were stolen. Another group last week, 3 doctors and 35 construction workers who built classrooms , saw 150-200 patients a day and gave out nearly 500 prescription eye-glasses. So, this mission can continue as far as the work they were doing. They had already purchased their food at PriceSmart, and pre-paid the hotel before the robbery. The money was to be used to purchase additional medicines and things for the local Panamanians, not the doctors themselves. We do pay a local doctor approximately $200 daily to oversee us, but the theft mostly hurt local citizens and the poor doctor who lost his passport. Doug and I have put up a few folks in our house to defray expenses. I guess I'm more embarrassed and afraid Panama will be thought of as a dangerous place. These people went to Rawanda and Kenya recently with no incidents. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 I have two vacant bedrooms with two beds in each and can put up some of the party. I've gone on many medical missions and have also housed doctors who have come down with the Rotary Club from North Carolina to do missions here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 Penny, thanks so much , very sweet of you to offer. Today, our 10 doctors will be joined by 75 more people. They pretty much fill up the Fundadores hotel, which allows them full use of their kitchen facilities. Much as I'd like, none of us could handle a crowd like that! They prefer staying together as they all eat and catch their buses in one place. Last weekend we had 45 over for an ice cream social. I only did that because one in their group went to high school with me 50 years ago in Kenya. It was fun, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't handle the now 85! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Where is their work taking place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 They have at least 15 different sites where construction is going on. Mostly, down near David. It depends on the size of the group as to which sites they work on. For a group this large they are probably working on the large school we are building on the main road into town, Los Anastacios, about 5 miles before the National Mall on the right. The doctors clinic at churches in David and change locations daily. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Is that the Seventh Day Adventist project at Los Anastacios that you’re referring to, Jo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 That is one of the places they work, yes. I usually work helping the doctors, and haven't been to any of the construction sites. It is an organization called "Maranatha" that decides which volunteers go where. The local Maranatha group moves their coordinators/cooks/drivers about every 6-12 months throughout Central and South America. They are currently set up at Fundadores, and groups from all over the world pay for the privilege to come down and work in the blazing sun. There was a large group a month ago from Germany. Spring Break time in the U. S. brought a large groups of young people. Most of our doctors are graduates from Loma Linda Medical School. We have met some really interesting and fun new friends. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 18 hours ago, Bonnie said: I have reached out to a contact in Citizen Services at the Embassy and asked her to contact Jo. I also will look into the issue of a citizen being unable to reach the Embassy in the event of emergency and will report back. Bonnie, thanks so much. The Embassy did call me an hour ago. They apologized for not answering the phone, said they have no idea what happened there. For anyone who is interested, the basic protocol in an emergency, such as this, is you do not need an appointment. Call the embassy (if you can), tell them the situation, and then proceed to the Embassy. They will issue an emergency passport within 24 hours or less. Our director is now in Panama, Maranatha arranged a taxi to pick him up and take him directly to the Embassy. Thanks for all you who were concerned, things are moving on as best as we can expect. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 6 hours ago, Palo Alto Jo said: Bonnie, thanks so much. The Embassy did call me an hour ago. They apologized for not answering the phone, said they have no idea what happened there. For anyone who is interested, the basic protocol in an emergency, such as this, is you do not need an appointment. Call the embassy (if you can), tell them the situation, and then proceed to the Embassy. They will issue an emergency passport within 24 hours or less. Our director is now in Panama, Maranatha arranged a taxi to pick him up and take him directly to the Embassy. Thanks for all you who were concerned, things are moving on as best as we can expect. I wrote Citizen Services at the U.S. Embassy this morning seeking clarification about how one reports an emergency outside the hours that personnel take calls. The Director, Stephanie Espinal, wrote the following: Thanks Bonnie- the 317-5000 emergency number goes to a recorded message and then gives instructions on reaching the operator in case of a life or death emergency involving a us citizen if calling outside of calling hours (mon - thurs 2-3:30 and Friday 10:30-12. The operator then passes the call to the consular section. I just tried the number and that is how it worked. Please have the person get in touch with us directly if they followed the steps in the recording but still couldn’t get through to us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palo Alto Jo Posted March 23, 2018 Author Share Posted March 23, 2018 15 hours ago, Bonnie said: I wrote Citizen Services at the U.S. Embassy this morning seeking clarification about how one reports an emergency outside the hours that personnel take calls. The Director, Stephanie Espinal, wrote the following: Thanks Bonnie- the 317-5000 emergency number goes to a recorded message and then gives instructions on reaching the operator in case of a life or death emergency involving a us citizen if calling outside of calling hours (mon - thurs 2-3:30 and Friday 10:30-12. The operator then passes the call to the consular section. I just tried the number and that is how it worked. Please have the person get in touch with us directly if they followed the steps in the recording but still couldn’t get through to us. I wonder if the operator gets to decide if it's important enough to pass on the call to the consular, or do they pass all messages? I'm not sure they characterize a stolen passport as "life or death", so they may have just ignored my friend. Or waited until the next day to deliver our message? At any rate, its nice to have the information. Phone answering for 1.5 hours per day seems pretty skimpy to me. I was getting tempted to call my Congressman to get them to answer the phone!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Doug Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Seriously??? The embassy only answers the phone for 90 minutes a day? What private business could get away with that policy? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF13 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Such a huge building, must have thousands of workers, but communicate with citizens....eewwwwwwww. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 I don't know what the rationale for this is, but I'll try to find out. I do know that the Consulate staff seem to be downright eager to help U.S. expats. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 On 3/23/2018 at 6:44 PM, Bonnie said: I don't know what the rationale for this is, but I'll try to find out. I do know that the Consulate staff seem to be downright eager to help U.S. expats. I wrote the Embassy about this issue. Stephanie Espinal, head of Citizen Services, replied as follows: "Hi Bonnie- Thanks for the question. To give you some context, many other Embassies do not accept any calls (except for emergency calls) and do all of their question-answering by email. We are generally able to answer questions by email more completely and more quickly than over the phone which is why we really encourage people to send emails instead of calling." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundageba Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 Oh my. So for those of us old farts who never graduated to the smart phone with computer technology (and are a mere skip away from a dial phone with a party line) we are up **** creek when we have an emergency in the middle of nowhere. Oh wait...there's no phone reception there anyway...forget what I said. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcelyn Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 Well now......perhaps I am misinformed, but I thought the reason for and purpose of Embassies was to serve and aid citizens in a foreign country, especially during an emergency or when people have a problem. This information from Stephanie Espinal sounds to me like the US Embassy in Panama City has a different view for their existence. Is our Embassy losing their focus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siempre Soluciones Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 28 minutes ago, Marcelyn said: Well now......perhaps I am misinformed, but I thought the reason for and purpose of Embassies was to serve and aid citizens in a foreign country, especially during an emergency or when people have a problem. This information from Stephanie Espinal sounds to me like the US Embassy in Panama City has a different view for their existence. Is our Embassy losing their focus? In my travels I've needed embassy services throughout the world, the majority of people seeking services are non-Americans, that's their customer base. That's been my experience. Just like when they talk about social security running out of money, but welfare never will. Go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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