Following the health emergency, the telemedicine system of the department of Caldas, Colombia has seen an increase in the use of its services.
In mid-February of this year, the Territorial Directorate of Health of Caldas, developed connectivity tests in three locations to determine if there was a sufficient communication channel for the implementation of telemedicine services. In this way, the government presented advances in order to benefit the population of Caldas, mainly those who live in remote areas.
Following COVID-19 outbreak in Colombia, Caldas Government and the Territorial Health Directorate and the Telehealth Unit of the UdeC (University of Caldas), joined forces to offer remote consultations.
As of the first week of May, more than 50,000 people from urban and rural areas of the Caldas department had been treated remotely through telemedicine services, thus avoiding travels and long journeys to cities and health centers. Reducing mobility in the area, the main way to prevent the spread of contagion.
Esteban Granada, director of Telesalud UdeC, indicated that people with symptoms related to COVID-19 have been treated in addition to other pathologies, so they have offered medical support online, achieving 97% effective attention.
The telemedicine services offered are free of charge and can be accessed online via the following link: https://coronavirustelesalud.com/
