Bolivian hospital connects COVID-19 patients and loved ones with virtual visits

Cintia Quisbert Paredes holds a bible and reacts as she speaks in a video call with her husband Christian Keith Rojas who is being treated for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a hospital, in La Paz, Bolivia June 30, 2021. REUTERS/Manuel Claure

LA PAZ (Reuters) - Ruth Lagos has come to the Cotahuma Municipal Hospital in the highland Bolivian city of La Paz for a "virtual" visit with her mother and father who are being treated for COVID-19.

Not allowed to see them in person, and like many Bolivians not having enough internet bandwidth at home, Lagos is taking advantage of an innovative new idea: a video call booth at the hospital's entrance, which connects patients inside with their loved ones.