Areas
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. Med Centro and GoGo close at night. For a cold, fever or refill, Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, sees patients of all ages by video while they are in Puerto Rico. In an emergency, call 911.
Is it an emergency? Call 911.
Video only
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
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. Its website lists 24/7 emergency service and a 24/7 pediatric ER, plus the southern region's only neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit.
Hospital Metropolitano Dr. Pila (Metro Pavia): 2435 Blvd Luis A. Ferré, Ponce, PR 00717. Phone 787-848-5600. On both Metro Pavia lists: 24/7 adult ERs and pediatric ERs.
Hospital Damas: Ponce By Pass #2213, Ponce, PR 00717. Phone 787-840-8460, per federal hospital data (CMS), which lists an ER. Unconfirmed: its hours and whether it sees children; its ER web page shows neither.
Hospital Menonita Ponce (formerly Hospital San Cristóbal; Menonita since December 1, 2022): Calle Acerola, Coto Laurel, Ponce, PR 00780, per its operator (federal data still says Route PR-506 Km 1.0). Phone 787-848-2100. CMS lists an ER; its hours and whether it sees children are unconfirmed.
Before you leave home
Why a video visit
For anything that isn’t an emergency, compare what each option takes.
| Comparison | Video visit | Emergency room | CDT or doctor’s office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting there | From home: join from your phone, tablet or computer. | Drive and find parking. | Drive and find parking. |
| Waiting room | Skip the waiting room: join from wherever you are in Puerto Rico. | Yes, a waiting room. | Yes, a waiting room. |
| Hours and time | We do not publish a wait time. Request a visit online 24/7 — we confirm your time by email or text. | In Puerto Rico, a median of 4 h 52 min from arrival to departure for patients sent home (US: 2 h 42 min; Oct 2024–Sep 2025).1,2 | An in-person visit takes about 2 hours on average, including travel.3 |
| Price | US$79 visit · US$49 follow-up · US$35 forms. You see it before you pay; no insurance needed. | Depends on your insurance and on what is done. | Depends on your insurance and on what is done. |
| Language | Spanish or English, with the same doctor. | Depends on the place. | Depends on the place. |
| Prescriptions | If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. | Yes, if needed. | Yes, if needed. |
| When to go in person | If the doctor needs to examine you in person or run a test, she tells you and guides you. | In an emergency: chest pain, trouble breathing, weakness on one side or bleeding that won’t stop. Call 911. | If you need stitches, an X-ray or a test on the spot. |
For problems that are not emergencies. In an emergency, call 911.
Table sources
- 1. CMS Care Compare, “Timely and Effective Care – State”, measure OP-18b: median time in the emergency department, arrival to departure, for patients sent home (opens in a new tab), data for Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (accessed 2026-10-02)
- 2. CMS Care Compare, “Timely and Effective Care – National”, measure OP-18b (US figure) (opens in a new tab), data for Oct 2024–Sep 2025 (accessed 2026-10-02)
- 3. Ray KN et al., “Opportunity costs of ambulatory medical care in the United States,” Am J Manag Care 2015;21(8):567-74 (US data, 2003–2010) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-02)
We found no published source for what a patient pays at an ER or a CDT in Puerto Rico, so we give no figure.
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., "from newborns to grandparents".
After they close, your options are the hospital ERs above or 911; for anything that is not an emergency, the doctor can see you by video. 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. From the Walgreens locator and the Farmacias Caridad directory; note the difference between store and counter hours:
Walgreens, 2979 Ave Emilio Fagot, SW corner of Fagot and Calle 13, Ponce, PR 00716, 787-841-7400. Store and pharmacy counter: 24 hours; the counter closes 1:30–2 a.m. for a meal break.
Walgreens, 2150 Ponce Bypass, 787-841-7791: store open until midnight, but the counter opens at 9 a.m.
Walgreens, 2030 Blvd Luis A. Ferré (787-709-4774), 2706 Ave Maruca (787-812-5978) and 1800 Calle Navarra (787-709-4591): counters open at 8 a.m.
Farmacia Caridad Ponce Bypass, 2511 Ponce Bypass, 787-284-2500: the shop floor is open until 9 p.m., but the pharmacy counter runs Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m. There is another Caridad on the first level of Plaza del Caribe (787-330-0365); we could not confirm its counter hours.
The Walgreens locator returns the Emilio Fagot counter as the nearest 24-hour one even from Mayagüez, 36.3 miles away. From Ponce, the next is Cayey, 33.1 miles (locator distances, not drive times). Hours change, so call first.
Sick at night in Ponce: after 11 p.m.
GoGo closes at 10 p.m. and Med Centro at 11 p.m. After that, this is what is open in Ponce:
- Is it an emergency? Chest pain, shortness of breath, stroke signs or a serious injury: call 911. San Lucas and Dr. Pila are listed as 24/7 ERs.
- A very sick child? San Lucas advertises a 24/7 pediatric ER, and Dr. Pila is on Metro Pavia's pediatric ER list. For anything that is not an emergency, the doctor sees children of all ages by video: see video visits for children.
- Need a prescription filled tonight? The Walgreens counter at 2979 Ave Emilio Fagot is open all night except 1:30–2 a.m. It is the only one in the whole southern and western half of the island.
- Something over the counter? The same Emilio Fagot store is open 24 hours; the Ponce Bypass store until midnight.
- Not an emergency? Request a visit online 24/7 — we confirm your time by email or text. See virtual urgent care.
Doctor in Ponce by video: how we care for you
Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, is a primary care physician licensed in Puerto Rico, with several years of emergency-department experience. She sees adults and children of all ages, in English or Spanish. She evaluates, diagnoses and treats; if needed, she gives you a lab order for a lab near you, such as a strep, urine or blood test. If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy, including the 24-hour counter on Ave Emilio Fagot. We do not prescribe controlled substances.
We send you a secure video link; it works on your phone, tablet or computer. You just need to be in Puerto Rico during the visit. Anyone under 21 needs a parent or legal guardian on the video, with ID. Your card is charged when you request the visit, with a full refund if it can't happen, and a doctor's note after the visit is included.
- Doctor visit, US$79: new problems, non-emergency urgent care, primary care, children and visitors.
- Follow-up, US$49: a refill of a medicine you already take, or a review of lab results for existing patients.
- Forms, US$35: school, university or job forms.
Earthquakes: what 2020 taught us
At 4:24 a.m. 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 evaluates you by video and, if appropriate, prescribes your non-controlled medication again. See medications and hurricanes.
Visiting the Pearl of the South: Plaza Las Delicias, La Guancha and the Parque de Bombas
Many visitors to Ponce head for Plaza Las Delicias, home of the Parque de Bombas firehouse, on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984, and for La Guancha boardwalk, the Cruceta del Vigía and Castillo Serrallés, which the city's tourism office lists among its attractions. If you fall ill on a day out, the doctor sees anyone physically in Puerto Rico by video, resident or visitor. Heading north? See our doctor in Arecibo guide; east, see Caguas, near the Cayey 24-hour counter.
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, the latest as of September 30), Ponce reported 34 dengue cases from January 1 to September 16. The Ponce health region totals 237 cases, second on the island only to the Caguas region, and of the 922 cases island-wide almost half were hospitalized. Learn the warning signs in our dengue guide; if they appear, go to a hospital ER, not an urgent care center.
Addresses, phone numbers and hours on this page were last verified on 2026-09-30.
How we care for you
We evaluate, diagnose and treat; if needed, we give you a lab order for a lab near you.
We see adults and children of all ages. Patients under 21: a parent with patria potestad (parental authority) or a legal guardian is on camera for the whole visit and shows photo ID.
Real-time video visit. We send you a secure video link. It works on your phone, tablet or computer.
If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. We do not prescribe controlled substances.
You must be physically in Puerto Rico during the visit (visitors, tourists and cruise passengers are welcome).
In an emergency, call 911.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a 24-hour pharmacy in Ponce?
Where is the nearest ER in Ponce that sees children?
Can a doctor see me at home in Ponce?
How much is a doctor visit without insurance in Ponce?
Can I get a prescription online in Ponce?
Is Hospital San Cristóbal still open?
About this page
Author: The Health Initiative
Medical care provided by Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD (PR license 24027)
Disclosure: Founding Executive Director of The Health Initiative
Published: 2026-09-30 · Updated: 2026-10-02
Sources (17)
- Hospital Episcopal San Lucas: hospital services (Spanish) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Metro Pavia: adult 24/7 emergency rooms (Spanish) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Metro Pavia: pediatric emergency rooms (Spanish) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- CMS: Hospital General Information (Damas, Menonita Ponce, San Lucas) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Menonita Health System: Hospital Menonita Ponce (Spanish) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Med Centro: urgent care (Spanish) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- GoGo Sala de Emergencia (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Walgreens, 2979 Ave Emilio Fagot: store and pharmacy hours (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Walgreens: pharmacies in Ponce (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Walgreens: 24-hour pharmacies near Ponce (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Farmacias Caridad: store locator (floor and pharmacy hours) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- USGS: M6.4 earthquake, January 7, 2020, Puerto Rico (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- El Vocero (Jan 7, 2020): headline "Desalojan Hospital Damas en Ponce" (Spanish) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- National Park Service: Parque de Bombas de Ponce, National Register listing (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Visit Ponce: attractions (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- PR Department of Health: arboviral surveillance, week 37 of 2026 (Spanish) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)
- CMS: good faith estimates for uninsured and self-pay patients (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-09-30)