New Department of Health-Metro Manila Director Dr. Rio Magpantay on Monday, Feb. 19, paid a courtesy visit to Makati City Mayor Abby Binay as the city government congratulated him on his new post and discussed Makati's best practices on the health and wellness of its citizens.
(Photos from Makati LGU)
Also present during the meeting were Makati City 2nd District Rep. Luis Campos, Dr. Janice Malesido, Dr. Jose Mari Castro, Mr. Albert Jerome Casihan, Engr. Annabelle Binoya, Engr. Harold Llandelar, Manila Health Department (MHD) Head Dr. Vergel Binay, Dr. Roland Unson, and Dr. Leeron Borja.
Some of the programs Binay tackled with Magpantay were the free vaccination against shingles and its partnership with KonsultaMD for telemedicine.
In January, the city government conducted community lectures and master-listing of its residents who wish to avail of vaccines against shingles, which is a viral infection that causes a painful rash which can occur anywhere in the body. It usually looks like a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of the torso.
"Ayon kay Mayora Abby, dalawang dose ng shingles vaccine ang ibibigay sa mga immunocompomised adults 19 years old pataas at mga residente mula 50 to 80 years old. Ang bawat isang dose nito ay nagkakahalaga ng P8,000 to P10,000 sa labas, pero libreng ibibigay para sa mga Yellow Card holder (According to Mayor Abby, two doses of shingles vaccines will be given to immunocompromised adults aged 19-years-old and above and residents aged 50 to 80-years-old. Each dose of the vaccine costs around P8,000 to P10,000 outside, but these will be given to Yellow Card holders for free)," the city government said as it urged residents to monitor Makati's official Facebook page for announcements regarding the shingles vaccination.
Meanwhile, the city government, in partnership with KonsultaMD and Globe Group, had earlier launched its 24/7 free online consults program for city hall employees which allows them to receive medical help and services online and in the comfort of their own home.
Binay said a total of 10,785 city hall employees had so far benefitted from the service as she bared her plan to also extend the telehealth service to the 144,943 Yellow Card holders in the city which include senior citizens, differently-abled persons, bedridden patients, and those who are unable to visit healthcare facilities due to health and other concerns.
The partnership, which is the first KonsultaMD project for a local government unit (LGU) in Metro Manila, aims to provide convenient and accessible services to city hall employees to address physical and mental health concerns even after office and clinic hours.
The mayor explained that Yellow Card city hall employees only need to download the KonsultaMD mobile application, register, and schedule a consultation with a licensed doctor or mental health counselor.
Aside from online consultations, KonsultaMD also offers e-prescriptions, laboratory requests, online medical certificates, and mental health support. These e-prescriptions can then be presented to Planet Drugstore so that employees can avail themselves of free medicines.
Other health programs
Makati’s Virtual Queuing Management System had also won the Galing Pook 2023 Award which is widely regarded for its revolutionary approach to healthcare that minimizes wait times and enhances patient experience, thus, setting a new standard in medical care accessibility.
The Binay administration also launched numerous programs aimed at ensuring the health and wellness of moms and their children which include prenatal checkups, newborn screenings, and vaccinations.
It kickstarted the digitalization of its citizens’ personnel documents such as Health Certificates and employed mobile data collection tools for Household Profiling.
This made the delivery of healthcare to and other services to Makatizens more efficient and data-driven.