Parañaque Models Digital Health and Augmented Telemedicine

The advancements in health and telemedicine efforts have increased since after the pandemic. This goes the same with the development of platforms, its monitoring and reporting. While we move on with our lives and increase workload to earn a living, the use of these digital health tools come at a very crucial time to service the greater population in need of health services wherever and whenever they need it. Much of these also come to also produce intrinsic health data so both the government and private sector would be able to analyze organizational performance, instances of appointments, and various patient-doctor related information which can be tracked strongly.

In the event hosted by SeeYouDoc (MA) Analytics, Barangay Health workers and Doctors from 16 Barangays from Parañaque City shared their experiences in their respective local government units and communities. Their goal of better health services are really in the forefront.

Dr. John Juliard Go the National Professional Officer of WHO Philippines says "I see we are blessed and happy, our pilot barangays in Parañaque certainly has done a lot in the past few years. In our aim to promote health and create access to quality services, telemedicine has been in regular discussions in WHO about its implementation on how to promote and harness technology plus our efforts to scale it up. The guides served as a really good basis to do health services during the emergency state/pandemic. The meaningful use of it beyond that must be guided especially on regulatory part, and how to address inequity. It has to be trusted and be used by individuals and healthworkers. This is not just for the privileged, and must be supported with adequate resources to institutionalize it. This is important for universal healthcare, we look forward to see how you experienced it and see what challenges are being felt and see where we can sustain. Mabuhay!"

Dr. Olga Virtusio the City Health Officer for Parañaque City Health Office adds "Sitting beside Dr. Jojo is a little fun. In behalf of our Mayor Eric Olivares, and VM Joanne Villafuerte, Cong. Edwin Olivares, our Barangay Captains, with our friends from WHO and SeeYouDoc, the advance implementation of our telemedicine wouldn't be successful without you. After being in the city for 6 years, this has been improving the coverage in Parañaque. Albeit in a geographically limiting area, we have addressed access to health care and we will begin to share this in other cities, places around the country. Here's to watching this in action, be with us in the journey. In the end, no one should be left behind. That's what we mean by Alagang Parañaque."

Recent achievements from Parañaque include 704,904 population, 7K 4P's included, lesser infant mortality rate in the last 5 years, improvement in infant and maternal death rates, 10/16 Hospitals are Primary Health Providers, providing Animal Bite care in Health Centers, increase in consultation rates, improvement in vaccinations. They also have given 683 teleconsultations and still have SeeYouDoc appointments where much are new and male patients. ICT equipment have also been delivered, providing internet and facilities for much of Health Centers in the city. They also have data coming from focus groups after the pandemic. Current challenges include budget, health equipment, need for young health workers, transportation, different medicines and training for health workers. 

The obvious thing here is the cooperation of public and private institutions have greatly augmented health service delivery and will increase universal health coverage in the city, to hopefully have it be implemented in other parts of the country. One health worker won't be doing this alone, with guidelines and procedures in place, a lot of Filipinos would benefit from it especially in health management, logistics, support in these communities.