Health Minister, Franklin Vergara, has set a two week deadline to collect all the garbage that is piled up in Panama City.

Vergara set the target date after the Cabinet approved the expenditure of $3.1 million to get the problem under control.

The Ministry received approval to hire, private operators to collect waste, until the city gets the 51 garbage trucks ordered by the Mayor, Bosco Vallarino, at a reportedly inflated price.

Contracts totaling $8.616 milion s were issued on a no-bid basis.

This money will be given to the municipality of Panama as a subsidy so they can provide the garbage collection service in underserved communities.

The general secretary of the Mayor of Panama, Jaime Barroso, said the $ 3.1 million should be devoted to addressing the problem of garbage collection.

The accumulation of garbage and the "inability" of the municipal authorities led health officials to declare a "health warning" in the districts of Panama, La Chorrera, San Miguelito and Colon.

The MoH declared a health alert and pledged to provide technical support to find the solution to the problem of garbage collection,.

Vergara said that in municipalities where there are problems of garbage collection, the central government will collect it.