The Ministry of Health of the province of Mendoza presented the Teleneurology Network that will become part of its Telemedicine Network.
The province of Mendoza has a network of telehealth services that includes specialties such as cardiology and dermatology. These types of modalities allow the care of more patients in medical specialties that are not usually available in all hospitals.
On this occasion, the province's Ministry of Health, Social Development and Sports added the Neurology area to the Telemedicine Network, with the aim of connecting the province's hospitals and improving medical care. Initially, this network will connect the Luis Lagomaggiore Hospital with the Malargüe Regional Hospital.
The Minister of Health, Ana María Nadal, explained that the Teleneurology Network is implemented within the framework of the implementation of health systems and telehealth networks. “This Teleneurology network means a connection between the Lagomaggiore and Malargüe hospitals. It allows that, in Malargüe, where there are no neurologists in the hospital, when a patient arrives with symptoms of cerebrovascular accident (CVA)”, he explained.
In other words, this network facilitates real-time evaluation in synchronous consultations performed by neurologists, specifically in the first hour of the consultation where care must be effective. In this way, the network pursues the same objectives as the telecardio network, which is to avoid traveling long distances to patients and provide faster care.
It is important to continue advancing technological tools in the provision of services, especially those that connect specialized hospitals with health centers in remote places. In Mendoza, the telehealth network began in 2017, however, during the pandemic this type of service and care models have increased in use and adoption by the actors involved.
For her part, the director of the Malargüe Regional Hospital, Yolanda Carabajal, highlighted the importance of implementing these services: “Being able to incorporate this service for Malargüe residents gratifies us and fills us with pride. If a person with a suspected stroke arrived, they were immediately transferred to San Rafael. From now on, care can be provided in the hospital, with all that that means”, he stated.
