Rural communities of Cobán in Guatemala, receive primary health care thanks to the implementation of a telemedicine project.
Rural areas of Guatemala have limited access to health services, either due to lack of personnel or medical infrastructure. In addition, the health emergency that the COVID-19 pandemic has represented since the beginning of 2020 has aggravated the situation in these communities.
In Cobán, head of the department of Alta Verapaz, it suffered heavy rains in November 2020, which affected health services in the region. However, pediatrician Ricardo Valdez, sent by the Esperanza Community Association, created a telemedicine project to provide primary care to people in rural areas of Cobán. They also had the support of Regis University in Colorado, USA.
Through the use of software called Medicloud, which facilitates remote medical care, it was possible to receive medical advice from specialists in the United States. “They can access our medical information in real time and support us,” explained Dr. Valdez.
The project became operational on September 16 this year. The objective, according to Valdez, is to bring medical care to rural areas at no cost or at a minimum cost. In addition, he recognized that telemedicine projects like this one would benefit the health system in Guatemala: "It would be an excellent option for the Ministry of Health, to have it in the health centers and that the doctors from there can attend the convergence centers and health posts where only nursing assistants arrive or even guide them in patient care.”
Through technology, Valdez and his team have managed to serve more than 1,400 patients. Also, through the use of software, they have created electronic records of more than 200 patients, which can be consulted in the cloud by professionals in the United States and Guatemala. .
Thanks to this project, the population of the region has access to teleconsultations, advice on COVID-19, medical follow-up and psychological consultations.
