The various strategies of local and national health authorities in Colombia during the pandemic include remote clinical care, delivery of medicines, telemonitoring of suspected cases of COVID-19, specialized medical care, among others.
Colombia has carried out various actions in response to the pandemic, including virtual care and telehealth tools such as mobile applications and teleconsultations. In 2020, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection enabled the use of timely services carried out through teleconsultations, after the approval of resolution 521.
"With the issuance of this resolution, the processes to develop the teleconsultation of COVID-19 patients, patients with comorbidities and older adults were streamlined, facilitating care and medical formulation," explained Luis Moscoso, Vice Minister of Public Health and Provision of Services.
The deputy minister explained that the objective of implementing telehealth tools is to improve access and quality of clinical care through the use of new information and communication technologies.
In this way, Moscoso announced that the total of actions related to remote care that were completed until July of this year reached 151 million, of which 79% corresponded to intentions of pathologies not related to COVID-19.
“We are beginning to have results in those special groups such as cancer patients, patients in palliative care and with other kidney diseases, and in general the entire non-COVID respiratory group, achieving 119,970,563 visits,” he explained.
On the other hand, thanks to the approval of the same resolution, the Ministry of Health guaranteed the delivery of medical formulas at home. Until the end of June, 21 million prescriptions were delivered to patients' homes. “In the month of June 2021, the medicines of 1.3 million medical formulas were delivered under this modality,” explained Moscoso.
