Marikina launches online medical consultation amid Covid-19

Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said the program in partnership with TeleHealth Pilipinas will provide more immediate care for Marikina residents and protect front-liners using technology while fighting the disease. (File photo: Marikina PIO/Facebook)

MANILA – The Marikina City government on Monday launched an online medical consultation program for residents as part of social distancing measures to prevent further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said the program in partnership with TeleHealth Pilipinas will provide more immediate care for Marikina residents and protect front-liners using technology while fighting the disease.

For the public to access the website, just click this link: https://pilipinastele.vsee.me/u/marikina. There is also a mobile application that can be downloaded at Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

“Itong application na ginagamit natin ay puwedeng i-download sa cellphone at sa iyong computer para sa ganoon ay makapag-chat kayo at makapag-video conference. May instruction ito kung paano ito i-download (This application can be downloaded through cellphones and computers for them to be able to chat and conduct video conference. There is an instruction on how to download it),” he said in a statement sent to reporters.

As for residents without internet access, he said they will install internet connection on health centers and barangay halls.

“Our option is to put internet access in these facilities where there is an isolated room. Another option is through community reporting, the traditional, conventional reporting. This is done by our City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (CESU). Those residents can report what they think as notifiable disease. They can report it to their homeowners’ association president who will then coordinate with our CESU,” Teodoro said.

He said the program mainly aims to reduce the risk of viral exposure of the LGU’s doctors and medical providers with the help of TeleHealth.

Marikina residents can now seek medical assistance from the comfort of their homes, and receive medicines at their doorstep to lessen mobility during quarantine, he added.

He said the idea is to ensure people strictly do the required home quarantine, and to prevent them from congregating in areas in violation of social distancing protocols.

The TeleHealth program also ensures health workers are protected.

Teodoro said that the doctors have online forms that the patients will fill out. The technical features of the system are compliant with the Department of Health, and the World Health Organization screening process as the standard intake and screening documents may be uploaded into this system.

“May doctor na sasagot sa kanila. Mayroon silang mga information, may forms sila na ipi-fill out nang sa gayon ay ma-assess ang tunay na kalagayan nila. At kung suspected Covid-19 case ay mayroon tayong dedicated ambulance at medical personnel na pupunta kung saan sila nakatira (A doctor will be available to answer them. They will give their information and fill out forms for their health condition to be assessed. In cases of suspected Covid-19 cases, we have dedicated ambulance and medical personnel who will pick them up at their residence),” he said.

Teodoro added doctors at the TeleHealth can also regularly check on persons under monitoring (PUMs).

TeleHealth, he said, is strategically situated at the 6th floor of the City Health Office (CHO).

“It is located near the CESU because our trackers for Covid-19 are here as well as for other related cases. We have personnel who are going out and roaming in communities. They are wearing PPE. They conduct tests and get swab samples,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Brian Tenorio, CEO of TeleHealth Pilipinas, said the program will protect doctors, nurses, and medical providers from exposure, as well as to protect patients.

“Together, this is an opportunity for us and for the city government to provide effective care to the public and compassionate care to our health care providers in these very challenging times,” Tenorio said.

He said that it has a faster and digitize workflow, and electronic medical record-keeping is available with the system.

“Each TeleHealth account is assigned to a specific individual licensed doctor or provider. The platform can also use existing hospital protocol of history taking and interview,” Tenorio said.