The San Juan City local government, together with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), held a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing and ceremonial turnover of an RxBox to Barangay Pasadena on Monday, Sept. 11.
The event was organized after the city was chosen as the pilot city for the use of the medical device.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora led the MOA signing together with DOST-NCR Regional Director Engr. Romelen Tresvalles, DOH-MMCHD Development Management Officer IV Dr. Haydee Len Palomo, San Juan City Health Officer Dr. Mitzi Tanchoco, and Barangay Captain Jaime Venal.
The RxBox is a multi-component program (biomedical device, electronic medical record system and telemedicine training) developed and designed by UP Diliman and UP Manila to provide better access to life-saving health care services in isolated and disadvantaged communities nationwide. It is one of DOST’s initiatives for a “Smarter Philippines”.
It is a telemedicine device capable of capturing medical signals through built-in medical sensors, storing data in an electronic medical record (Community Health Information Tracking System –CHITS), and transmitting health information via internet to a clinical specialist in the Philippine General Hospital for expert advice.
It also catalyzes improvement in the local referral system by facilitating teleconsultations (audio-video conferences) within the National Telehealth Service Program.
The RxBox can reduce the overall cost of healthcare by enabling health workers to diagnose, monitor and treat patients within the rural health facility, thanks to medical sensors inside the box.
The device contain the following medical equipment:
- Blood Pressure Monitor (measures the patient’s blood pressure to detect cardiovascular problems especially hypertension, a disease which can also worsen other chronic lifestyle disease conditions)
- Pulse Oximeter (measures the level of oxygen in the patient’s blood and can help detect lung and cardiovascular problems – leading causes of death among Filipinos)
- Electrocardiogram (monitors the heart’s movement to pump blood throughout the body, helpful for those with acute and chronic heart problems, including pregnant mothers with cardiovascular problems)
- Fetal Heart Monitor (measures the baby’s heart rate while in the womb, helping detect fetal distress at critical times of the pregnancy and delivery)
- Maternal Tocometer (measures the strength of a mother’s uterine contractions during labor and delivery, enabling early detection of distress to the mother and/or the baby)
- Temperature Sensor (measures a patient’s body temperature. It can help detect fever, a common medical sign of infection and other disease conditions)
"Ito pong partnership na ito ay under ng aming Community Empowerment through Science and Technology Program kung saan nagde-deploy din kami ng mga DOST generated technologies across five areas: Pwede sa health and nutrition, pwede sa environmental protection, pwedeng technologies on disaster risk reduction, kasama na rin ang technology based development (This partnership is under our Community Empowerment through Science and Technology Program where we deploy DOST generated technologies across five areas: environmental protection, health and nutrition, technologies on disaster risk reduction, and technology-based development)," Tresvalles said.
"Kagandahan nito dahil nga 'yung ibang mga health centers natin ay kulang sa mga gamit, with the 6-in-1 feature ng ating diagnostic na RxBox, magkakaroon po ng increased access ang ating mga kababayan doon sa mga facilities ng isang health center (The beauty of the RxBox's diagnostic capabilities is that it increases the access of our countrymen to the facilities of a health center with its 6-in-1 feature)," she added.
Palomo, on the other hand, stressed the equipment's importance in the implementation of the country's Universal Health Care services.
"Making tulong ang RxBox sa pag-strengthen po ng ating Universal Health Care. Dahil po doon, ang referral system natin ay mas mapapabilis dahil ang ating mga buntis in particular, ay hindi na mag-shopping. Ibig sabihin po nun ay kapag nadiagnose na sya sa health center na "high risk", immediately po ay pwede na natin syang mai-refer dun sa higher hospital na kung saan ay mabibigyan s'ya ng tamang pagpapagamot (The RxBox is a big help in strengthening our Universal Health Care especially in terms of streamlining the referral system of pregnant women. This means once they're diagnosed as "high-risk", they can immediately be referred to a higher hospital where they can receive the right medical attention)," Palomo said.
"Maiiwasan din po ang maternal mortality death. Kasama po dun syempre pag napapangalagaan po nang mabuti ang kalusugan ng ating nanay ay napapangalagaan din natin ang kalusugan ng ating mga anak sa kanilang sinapupunan (We can also prevent maternal mortality death. The device can help us ensure the health of our mothers and their children)," she added.
The officials said the rest of San Juan's barangays can also be given their own RxBoxes.