Doctor Online in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Luquillo and Loíza: ERs, Pharmacies and El Yunque

None of these three towns has a hospital, so an in-person visit usually means leaving town. For an emergency, go to the nearest ER or call 911. For a cold, a UTI, a fungal infection, a rash after El Yunque or the beach, or a refill, the doctor sees you by video: no driving or parking, you skip the waiting room, and the price is clear before you book.

If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to the pharmacy you choose, such as the Walgreens on PR-3 in Río Grande, open daily until 10 p.m. Book a video visit from Río Grande.

The Río Grande CDT (above) is for emergencies; a CDT (centro de diagnóstico y tratamiento) is not a hospital: see what a CDT is and when to go.

• Emergency: chest pain, shortness of breath or stroke signs: call 911. For a deep cut or a fall that may need an X-ray, the CDT's ER (787-809-1020).
• Everything else, by video: a cold, fever without warning signs, UTI, fungal infection, rash or refill. The doctor sees you at home in Río Grande, Luquillo or Loíza; see virtual urgent care.
• At night or on the weekend: a doctor online 24/7 by video for anything that is not an emergency.

The CDC says schistosomiasis, a parasite spread in fresh water, is found in Puerto Rico, and advises against swimming in untreated fresh water such as rivers, lakes or ponds. It also warns about leptospirosis, caught by swimming or wading in fresh water or mud contaminated with animal urine, especially after rain and flooding.

If you swam in a river or pool and 2 to 30 days later have fever, headache, muscle aches or red eyes, which the CDC lists as leptospirosis symptoms, the doctor evaluates you by video and, if needed, gives you a lab order. Read our leptospirosis guide. With yellow skin or eyes, very little urine, shortness of breath or confusion, go to the ER.

Planning a wellness visit around the rainforest? Our El Yunque and Río Grande guide covers hiking, the rainforest and staying safe.

Loíza has 22,047 residents (Census, 2024). Its population has aged quickly: 25.3% are 65 or older, up from 20.1% in the 2020 Census. It has no hospital and no Walgreens.

• ER in Loíza: the Concilio de Salud Integral de Loíza site lists a "Sala de emergencia en Loíza", 787-876-2042 ext. 251. It publishes no hours, so we cannot confirm it is open at night: call first. Its main health center, at PR-188 and Carr 187 (787-876-3130), is open 40 hours a week per HRSA.
• Nearest hospital: Concilio itself points to the Hospital UPR Dr. Federico Trilla ER in Carolina, 787-757-1800, about 7 miles in a straight line. See doctor in Carolina.
• Nearest pharmacy: Walgreens, 17000 Carr 3, Canóvanas, 787-957-8050, about 4 miles in a straight line. Counter: Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–6 p.m. See Trujillo Alto and Canóvanas.
• Nearest 24-hour counter: Walgreens, 2505 Carr 841, Guaynabo, 787-287-0528, about 15 miles in a straight line.

If you are in Piñones or at home in Loíza and it is not an emergency, a video visit saves you the trip to Carolina. Book a video visit from Loíza.

Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, is a general practice physician licensed in Puerto Rico, with several years of emergency-department experience. She sees adults and children of all ages, in English or Spanish; anyone under 21 needs a parent or legal guardian on the video, with photo ID. She evaluates, diagnoses and treats; if needed, she gives you a lab order for a lab near you. If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. After a day at El Yunque or the Luquillo kiosks, our online clinic for Puerto Rico is a video link away.

We send you a secure video link that works on your phone, tablet or computer. Video doctor visits 24/7 — book online and choose your time right away. You are charged when you request it, with a full refund if the clinic can’t see you.

Visiting Puerto Rico for longer than a weekend? The Health Initiative also runs an in-person wellness retreat in Puerto Rico, held in English at a hacienda in Río Grande, Puerto Rico. It is a separate program from our video visits, and the exact address is shared with confirmed guests.

Verified on October 2, 2026: CDT Río Grande and Caribbean Medical Center on their operator's pages; the Concilio ER on concilioloiza.org; hospitals in CMS data; pharmacy counters on each Walgreens page; health centers in HRSA data; population from the Census Bureau; fresh-water risks on the CDC's Puerto Rico page. Distances are straight lines, not drive times. We re-check these facts every quarter. See also all areas.