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Doctor in Ponce by Video: ERs, Urgent Care and the 24-Hour Pharmacy

If you need a doctor in Ponce in the middle of the night, the city has the only 24-hour pharmacy counter in southern and western Puerto Rico, Walgreens on Ave Emilio Fagot, and Hospital Episcopal San Lucas's 24/7 pediatric ER. For something common, Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, can see you by video for US$79 while you are in Puerto Rico. Med Centro and GoGo close at night. In an emergency, call 911.

Can we help by telehealth? Sometimes: it depends on the evaluation.

We are a telehealth-only service: we have no office or clinic in this area or anywhere else in Puerto Rico. If you need to be seen in person, this guide shows where to go.

Is this an emergency?

This is not an emergency service. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:

  • An injury from falling objects or debris during an earthquake
  • Dengue with belly pain, repeated vomiting or bleeding
  • A child with fever who is struggling to breathe or is very limp, especially at night when Med Centro and GoGo are closed
  • Chest pain, shortness of breath or stroke signs

Help lines:

Warning signs: when to go to the ER

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Emergency rooms in Ponce: the four hospitals compared

In an emergency call 911. These are the hospital ERs we verified in Ponce, with what each source confirms and what it does not. None is affiliated with us.

  • Hospital Episcopal San Lucas: 917 Ave Tito Castro, Ponce, PR 00716. Phone 787-844-2080. A 24/7 adult ER and a 24/7 pediatric ER, per its website.
  • Hospital Metropolitano Dr. Pila (Metro Pavia): 2435 Blvd Luis A. Ferré, Ponce, PR 00717. Phone 787-848-5600. On Metro Pavia's lists of 24/7 adult and pediatric ERs.
  • Hospital Damas: 2213 Ponce By Pass, Ponce, PR 00717. Adult ER confirmed on its website. Phone unconfirmed: its website gives 787-840-8686, federal data (CMS) gives 787-840-8460. Unconfirmed: whether it has a pediatric ER.
  • Hospital Menonita Ponce (formerly Hospital San Cristóbal; Menonita since December 1, 2022): Route PR-506 Km 1.0, Bo. Coto Laurel, Ponce, PR 00780. Phone 787-848-2100. Federal hospital data (CMS) lists an ER; its hours and whether it sees children are unconfirmed.

Urgent care in Ponce: Med Centro and GoGo are not 24-hour ERs

Two centers on Ave Hostos advertise as a "sala de urgencia" or "sala de emergencia" (emergency room), but they are not open 24 hours and are not hospital ERs. They are useful for minor problems during extended hours:

  • Med Centro Sala de Urgencia, 1034 Ave Hostos, 787-843-9393 ext. 8011. Daily, holidays included, 7 a.m.–11 p.m.
  • GoGo Sala de Emergencia, 1123 Ave Hostos, 787-492-0695. Daily 7 a.m.–10 p.m., all ages.

After they close, your options are the four hospital ERs above or 911. Not sure what you need? Read where to go when you are sick.

24-hour pharmacy in Ponce: the only one in the south and west

Of Puerto Rico's five 24-hour pharmacy counters, all Walgreens, four are in the metro area and the center of the island (Guaynabo, Bayamón, Caguas and Cayey). The fifth is in Ponce:

  • Walgreens, 2979 Ave Emilio Fagot, Ponce, PR 00716, 787-841-7400. Store and pharmacy counter open 24 hours; the counter closes 1:30–2 a.m. for a meal break.
  • Farmacia Caridad Ponce Bypass, 2511 Ponce Bypass, 787-284-2500: pharmacy Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

The Walgreens locator returns this Ponce counter as the nearest 24-hour one even from Mayagüez (36.3 miles) and Aguadilla (46.2 miles); those are locator distances, not drive times. Hours change, so call first.

Earthquakes: what 2020 taught us

On January 7, 2020, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 4 km south-southeast of Indios, in Guayanilla, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The same day, El Vocero ran the headline "Desalojan Hospital Damas en Ponce" (Hospital Damas in Ponce evacuated).

The practical health lesson: keep a written list of your medications and doses, copies of your prescriptions and insurance card, and a supply of your regular medications in a grab-and-go bag. If a prescription is lost in an emergency, the doctor can assess by video whether it is appropriate to re-prescribe a non-controlled medication. See medications and hurricanes and prescription refills.

Dengue in Ponce: 34 cases, 237 in the Ponce region

According to the Puerto Rico Department of Health's weekly report for week 37 (published September 23, 2026), Ponce reported 34 dengue cases in weeks 1–37 of 2026. The Ponce health region totals 237 cases, second on the island only to the Caguas region. Of the 922 cases island-wide, almost half were hospitalized. Learn the warning signs in our dengue guide; if they appear, go to San Lucas, Dr. Pila, Damas or Menonita Ponce.

Telehealth: when a doctor in Ponce by video is enough

Request a visit online 24/7 — we confirm your time by email or text. One Ponce advantage: if the doctor prescribes something late at night, the Ave Emilio Fagot counter is open. If appropriate, the doctor can prescribe medication. We do not prescribe controlled substances. See online doctor visits and, if you are visiting, our guide for visitors.

For a very sick child, San Lucas and Dr. Pila both have 24/7 pediatric ERs; see also video visits for children. West of here, see our Mayagüez guide; east, Caguas, near the Cayey 24-hour counter; north, Arecibo. Addresses, phone numbers and hours on this page were last verified on 2026-09-30.

Video visit: US$79 · Pay by card · See the price and what is included

Before you book

  • You must be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit (visitors and tourists are welcome).
  • We see patients from 6 months old. Patients under 21: a parent or legal guardian must be on camera for the whole visit.
  • Real-time video only; we do not do phone-call visits.
  • We do not prescribe controlled substances.

What we don't do by telehealth

Frequently asked questions

Which Ponce ER sees children around the clock?
Hospital Episcopal San Lucas (Ave Tito Castro) has a 24/7 pediatric ER, and Metro Pavia lists Hospital Metropolitano Dr. Pila (Blvd Luis A. Ferré) among its pediatric ERs. If a child is struggling to breathe or is unresponsive, call 911.
Are Med Centro and GoGo real ERs?
They are not hospital ERs. They are extended-hours urgent care centers: Med Centro is open 7 a.m.–11 p.m. and GoGo 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Both are closed overnight.
Is there a 24-hour pharmacy in Ponce?
Yes: Walgreens, 2979 Ave Emilio Fagot (787-841-7400). The pharmacy counter is open 24 hours, with a 1:30–2 a.m. meal break. It is the only 24-hour counter in southern and western Puerto Rico.
Is Hospital San Cristóbal still open?
It is now Hospital Menonita Ponce, since December 1, 2022. It is still on Route PR-506 in Coto Laurel, and federal hospital data lists an ER; call to confirm its hours.
Can you refill a prescription by telehealth?
If it is a non-controlled medication and it is appropriate, the doctor can prescribe it after a video assessment. Have the bottle or a photo of the label handy. We do not prescribe controlled substances.
Do you have an office in Ponce?
No. We are a telehealth-only service with no office or clinic in Ponce: the visit is a video call from wherever you are in Puerto Rico, and it costs US$79.

Sources

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