The Ministry of Health in Jujuy is continuing efforts to improve access and decentralize public health services, focusing on strategies like telemedicine as part of the second phase of its Strategic Health Plan. These initiatives aim to enhance quality of life by ensuring that medical professionals are available daily across all areas of the province.
One such initiative is Tele Atención Primaria de la Salud (TeleAPS), a virtual assistance program providing coverage throughout the interior regions. TeleAPS focuses on identifying and monitoring individuals with diabetes and other chronic diseases such as hypertension. The program was nominated for the Martín Fierro Salud 2025 awards due to its commitment to equitable access and intercultural approaches. Its strategy involves assigning a physician to each health post, who is responsible for both preventive care and treatment, early referrals when necessary, and integrating into a network that supports increasingly complex care from local centers outward.
Augusto Ittig, a physician involved in the project, said: “With the support of the Ckausama Kunza (Vida Nuestra) group, which brings together indigenous communities and has equipment donated by Canada for better early detection and monitoring of people with diabetes, we held a care session in Calilegua on World Diabetes Day.”
Describing how TeleAPS operates, Ittig explained: “In this strategy, after detecting through patient testing, we proceed with follow-up in virtual clinics. This means that the patient sits in front of a device—either a computer or mobile phone—and receives remote assistance from a clinical doctor who evaluates based on sampling and physical examination.”
He added: “The person is accompanied in the clinic by a nurse or health agent who participates in this consultation, complementing the assessment. The information is then entered into the Electronic Medical Record (HCE) module for ongoing follow-up,” emphasizing that “once the face-to-face part is completed, the virtual aspect adds value by making doctors available every day anywhere in the territory.”
