El Salvador is quickly transforming its public healthcare system through DoctorSV, a new digital health platform powered by artificial intelligence and launched by President Nayib Bukele on November 13. In less than two weeks of operation, the application has already reached 200,000 downloads and averages 10,000 scheduled consultations per day, according to DoctorSV Director Manuel Bello.
“This is a new health system with artificial intelligence, and we can safely say it does not exist anywhere else in the world. We are innovating by applying AI to assist physicians, but at no time will it replace the doctor,” Bello said in an interview on the TV interview.
The app is available to all Salvadorans aged 18 and over, requiring only a national ID (DUI) to register through a simple guided process that takes just minutes. Bello explained that while a physician’s diagnostic accuracy averages 55 percent based on medical studies, AI-assisted recommendations can raise accuracy to over 90 percent, without replacing professional medical judgment.
DoctorSV currently focuses on non-life-threatening conditions such as mild pain, diarrhea, cramps, fever, and other easily treatable illnesses. The platform already works with more than 1,400 certified doctors approved by the Higher Council of Public Health and operates 24/7 year-round. “They are experienced professionals who went through a rigorous selection process and receive continuous training,” Bello noted. All prescribed medications are provided free of charge and can be collected at more than 350 partner pharmacies across the country.