Since 2023, the Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) has been operating a telemedicine service at the Huehuetenango Hospital. The program aims to provide specialized medical care to IGSS members living far from Guatemala City.
Dr. Victoria Guadalupe Lucas López, a physician and surgeon in charge of the area, said that the project began as a pilot in five departments with significant distances from the capital, where most specialists are based. She explained that the IGSS telemedicine team enables real-time connections with specialists located in Guatemala City.
"The Telemedicine avoids patients having to travel between five and six hours for care. Now they can consult directly with the specialist from their unit," said Dr. Lucas López.
The system uses equipment called Ergotrón, which allows medical interviews, physical exams, and real-time diagnostics. Available specialties include neurology, cardiology, psychology, psychiatry, and ophthalmology.
Local doctors act as intermediaries between patients and specialists by using devices such as otoscopes, stethoscopes, and electrocardiogram machines connected to the system. "While we examine the patient, the specialist observes, listens and evaluates from Guatemala," Dr. Lucas López explained.
Patients benefit by receiving specialized care without traveling long distances due to this medical innovation. Dr. Lucas López stated that the initiative has been well received among IGSS members and has enabled modernized care that is quick and personalized: "Patients leave satisfied because they feel that the specialist is close by even though they are in another department."
The telemedicine project represents both technological and logistical progress within Guatemala's public health network by helping strengthen IGSS’s commitment to providing broad coverage, efficiency, and quality in national medical services.
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