Ancon Hospital: an American Hospital during the construction of the Panama Canal, 1904-1914

The control of yellow fever, malaria, and other tropical diseases was essential for the successful completion of the Panama Canal. COL William C. Gorgas, Chief Sanitary Officer, found Ancon Hospital quite satisfactory as a site from which to direct his sanitation efforts. Ancon Hospital played an important role during the period of the excavation of the canal (1904-1914). In 1928, Ancon Hospital was renamed Gorgas Hospital to commemorate this achievement. After more than a century of clinical and research activities in Panama, Ancon Hospital closed its doors in 1997.