BAGUIO CITY (PNA) – The city government received on Monday four units of Logistics Indoor Service Assistant (LISA), a remote-controlled robot that can deliver medicine to patients.
Rey Balanon of Stouthearted Men Foundation Inc., a corporation created by city-based Saint Louis Boys High Batch 1979, said they decided to give four units to the city government for the frontliners.
LISA is a United States robot design but assembled locally. Its base is like a toy car with a metal pole attached to it. At the upper portion of the pole is a small tray where the medicine is placed.
“It is (a) remote-controlled robot and can be directed by the handler to the patients, preventing direct contact with the patients,” Balanon said.
He said the original experimental units were used at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) hospital.
“Yung isang friend namin ang nagbigay sa UST pero noong nakita noong friend namin na okay siya, effective doon sa preventing nurses from having to enter COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) wards, eh sabi namin siguro magandang magdonate din tayo dito sa Baguio (A friend donated to UST hospital and he saw its effectiveness in preventing nurses from having to enter Covid wards. He said it will also be good to donate here in Baguio),” Balanon said.
The Foundation decided to ask members to pitch-in for the four units that it donated to the city government.
He said they have also been involved in several outreach activities like scholarship to indigent families, medical missions in far-flung communities, and fund drive for various humanitarian endeavors.
Engr. Bonifacio dela Peña, city administrator, in a separate interview, said they were thinking of deploying LISA at the Baguio City Community isolation facility at the former Sto. Niño hospital for COVID-19 positive patients.
“Hindi na kasi dapat sana magkaroon ng physical contact (There should be no more contact) with the front-liners. The robot will deliver medicines instead of nurses, instead of front-liners carrying the medicines,” dela Peña said.
He said with the robot, the exposure of the nurses will be minimized, also reducing the risk of contracting the disease.