INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City on Thursday launched a telemedicine system exclusively for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
In a statement, the local government said that the QC COVID Telemed program is an “online system where patients who are undergoing home quarantine or admitted in the city’s HOPE community-caring facilities can consult their doctors without having to personally meet them.”
The program shall also support healthcare workers who have high risks of exposure to COVID-19, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
“Through telemedicine, our doctors no longer need to physically visit their patients to do rounds. They can log on to the system and they can do online consultation with their patients,” she explained.
This program, the local government added, is in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH).
In support of the program, the local government said that the DOH donated 15 laptops and desktops which will be distributed in HOPE facilities, as well as selected health centers in Quezon City.
The HOPE facilities serve as quarantine and treatment centers for possible and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases.
Currently, there are 202,361 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with 3,137 deaths and 133,460 recoveries.
Of the total number of cases nationwide, 10,404 were recorded in Quezon City, according to the latest COVID-19 tally provided by city government.