City to use digital ‘Bantay Covid’ monitoring system soon

The city government is coming up with a modified Bantay Covid  digital platform where volunteer medical doctors from the private sector can interact with  coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients who are under home quarantine. 

The system is spearheaded by the Health Services Office (HSO) in collaboration with the Management Information and Technology Division and the Baguio-Benguet Medical Society.

In the virtual management committee meeting, October 12, of city officials, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the system will lessen the burden of government medical professionals who are currently being overwhelmed and are multi-tasking in caring for Covid19 patients, most of whom are under home quarantine.

“The system will allow those who are under home quarantine to interact with doctors and feel the concern of the local government.  It will also act as a monitoring device that will check on their progress and gathering of appropriate data,” he said. 

Earlier, the Mayor gave his approval for the free digital platform and said that it should be set up at the soonest possible time since this will be very beneficial for patients who are home quarantined. 

“This innovative project is a perfect example of ‘volunteerism’ and the ‘bayanihan spirit’ at work,” he said.

HSO head Dr. Rowena Galpo said the endeavor is timely since about 80 percent, or around 3,000, of the city’s Covid-19 patients are under home isolation and most are entire families.

The planned project is patterned after the ongoing ‘BANTAI COVID’ program of Quezon City where volunteer doctors, thru digital technology, communicate  with home quarantined infected individuals in their locality.  It will be modified to fit the needs of Baguio’s residents, she said.
To further bolster the city’s monitoring system, barangays are tasked to monitor patients in their areas thru their Barangay Health and Emergency Response Teams (BHERTS) using templates provided them by the City Mayor’s Office’s Special Services Division.- Gaby B. Keith