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Manila Bulletin devider Technews devider Telehealth for Remote Barangays

Telehealth for Remote Barangays

Published Aug 27, 2020 01:22 pm

When the government implemented quarantine protocols all over the country, one of the consequences that has impacted local government units (LGUs) is the travel restriction imposed on their constituents, making access to healthcare and medical facilities more challenging specially for those coming from remote barangays all over the country.

In the Liveable Cities Challenge (LCC) Liveable Cities Labs Webinar Series dubbed, “Digital Transformation in a Post GCQ World: Building Healthy Cities and Municipalities,” KonsultaMD is giving LGUs the option of extending telemedicine to their constituents who live in far-out or remote barangays. KonsultaMD  is a subscription-based telehealth service that’s available 24/7, allowing access to skilled and licensed Filipino doctors who can provide safe medical assessment and advice on basic healthcare and proper medication. It is operated by Global Telehealth, Inc., a joint venture of 917Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, and Mexico’s Salud Interactiva.

“Telehealth is more relevant now more than ever. People need access to doctors, telehealth provides that even to remote areas where no doctors are present. You can consult a KonsultaMD doctor anytime, anywhere thru voice or video,” said Cholo Tagaysay, Chief Operations Officer of KonsultaMD. 

According to Tagaysay, the ratio is that for every 33,000 Filipinos, there is only one doctor in the country. With the pandemic affecting almost all parts of the country right now, doctors are harder to find especially in the provinces and rural areas.  LGUs can use KonsultaMD not just as a helpful healthcare resource to serve their constituents in remote barangays or urban areas, but also to make social services inclusive for all. 

“What makes KonsultaMD unique is it’s fast 24/7 unlimited access to doctors. There’s no need to make an appointment. You can talk to a doctor immediately. 24/7. And you can consult as many times as you need. All that for only P15 per week. And pricing for LGUs is even much lower,” added Tagaysay.

Interested parties can download the KonsultaMD app on Google Play or Apple AppStore, call their hotline at (02) 7798-8000, or visit their website at www.konsulta.md. For partnerships with KonsultaMD, send an e-mail at [email protected].

The Department of Health advocates telemedicine especially now that the country is moving towards the new normal and the pandemic has shown challenges that need to be addressed as soon as possible.

“Telemedicine improves access to health information and services hampered by geographic, transportation and communication barriers as well as health provider shortages,” said Dr. Eric Tayag, Director of Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service of the DOH.

Aside from Tagaysay and Tayag, Sacha Bootsma, Technical Officer on Health Emergencies of the World Health Organization and Dr. Gia Sison, Head of Women’s Wellness Center of the Makati Medical Center also took part in the webinar moderated by LCC chair Bill Luz, and presented by Globe Telecom.

The Liveable Cities Labs is a series of webinar sessions to gear up cities with knowledge and insights for designing better solutions for their communities. The 4th Liveable Cities Lab Session will be on September 2, 2020 (Wednesday), 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

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