As Jesús Fuentes, compliance officer at the Panama Mayor’s Office, explained, the habit of urinating in public is frowned upon and anyone who comments on it could be sanctioned by the authorities.
“Law No. 30 of 2000 empowers the Mayor, Magistrate and Governor to impose fines up to B/. He states that $500.00 is paid to an individual who satisfies a physiological need (urination or defecation) in a public place.
He added that at the level of his city government, complaints of these actions were made through 311 and the Department of Citizen Concern.
“The most affected are those who have left a business after drinking an alcoholic beverage and people who are homeless,” Fuentes said.
According to the person in charge, the code also stipulates that all violators must clean up the mess; firstly, this is enforced when the person is poor.
According to sources, the areas that have received the most complaints for these actions are Plaza de Mayo, Cuban Avenue and Israel Avenue.
“The mayor’s office, which oversees renovations and cleaning, is doing everything it can to enforce this law,” he said.
health problems
Alfredo Moltó, medical advisor to the Ministry of Health, explained that the gastrointestinal system has a large number of bacteria that are excreted in faeces or urine.
He insisted: “These liquids should be disposed of in places where they do not contaminate bodies, land, food or water sources, as they could be vectors for the transmission of any disease.”
He emphasized that the risks are the same regardless of the level of society. “There are people with good socioeconomic status but poor health education.”
Some bacterial diseases that are spread through human waste are: Shigella (gastroenteritis), cholera, and typhoid.
Worryingly, all those without good hygiene and children who touch all surfaces with their hands out of curiosity are vulnerable.
Infectious disease doctor Guillermo Kennion urged that if you are on public roads, wash or sanitize your hands frequently.
The areas that received the most complaints due to these actions were Plaza 5 de Mayo, Avenida Cuba and Avenida Israel
Such complaints to the Office of the Mayor of Panama may be made on line 311