Panama has a specialized institution in this field which is indispensable to support a high-level sports movement that has been pursued and attained in some of the most popular disciplines in the country.

Sports medicine is considered a specialty dealing with health, the complex physical and mental welfare of every human being, regardless of their race, religion, political affiliation or economic and social conditions.

Firstly, it is clear that it is not meant entirely to cure, but rather to prevent athletes from being injured and, therefore, help them attain high levels of achievement.

This centre, which is under Panama 's top sports body, has many responsibilities including the ambition to disseminate and establish sports medicine services throughout the country, as well as developing and setting scientific and medical standards for the preservation of health in sports and physical education.

Likewise, it is in charge of disseminating techniques, principles and medical tests and checkups for sportsmen and women. It is also responsible for ensuring the medical requirements of those athletes who qualify for higher-level competitions and providing the necessary prophylaxis and therapy needed by injured athletes on their muscles and bones as part of physical medicine and rehabilitation services.

A medical and sports card is made and filed by this centre, which also works to increase the practice of physical exercise at a national level aimed at improving people's health. In addition, it sets nationwide standards to systematize athletes' full medical checkups and supports actions to be taken in dealing with physical anomalies, as well as other related responsibilities.

This institution' specific functions are to represent, manage, organize, coordinate and control sports medicine activities; to establish relations with those institutions responsible for medical prevention and research in the country and provide assistance to professionals in this field to formulate medical standards applicable to sports and medicine.