In its first year of operation, the WhatsApp appointment system implemented in Jujuy’s public hospitals has issued 150,866 appointments as of December 31, 2025. The initiative is part of a broader effort by the Ministry of Health of Jujuy to improve access to healthcare services and modernize administrative processes across the province.
The program is managed by the Centralized Patient Management Center, working alongside the IT Unit and administrative teams from various institutions. Their goal is to speed up response times and make it easier for residents to access medical care without needing to visit hospitals in person.
Christian Amerise, coordinator of the Centralized Patient Management Center, said: “We continue improving tools that allow families to easily manage procedures and paperwork needed to access our health services. In the first year with this widely used tool like WhatsApp, we managed to respond more simply to requests for appointments for medical specialties and complementary studies, observing a significant reduction in lines at our hospitals and also helping each person who no longer needs to come in person to request an appointment or pay for transportation several times.”
Since late November 2024, twelve hospitals have adopted the WhatsApp system. These include Centro de Especialidades Sur (CES)/Hospital Snopek in Alto Comedero; Paterson Hospital in San Pedro; Zabala Hospital in Perico; Gallardo Hospital in Palpalá; OrÃas Hospital in Libertador; Sequeiros, Pablo Soria, and San Roque Hospitals in San Salvador de Jujuy; Nuestra Señora del Carmen Hospital in El Carmen; PresbÃtero Zegada Hospital in Fraile Pintado; San Miguel Hospital in Yuto; and San Isidro Labrador Hospital in Monterrico.
Patients can request appointments by sending a written message via WhatsApp to each hospital’s designated number during specific hours. Alternatively, they can call a central call center or coordinate through administrative staff at local health centers.
The Ministry’s efforts are aimed at reducing wait times and minimizing the need for repeated travel or long queues at hospital facilities.
