Plan to have doctors interact with home quarantined Covid patients, eyed

The city government is planning to establish a digital platform where volunteer medical doctors can interact with Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients who are under home quarantine according to a local health official.

In the virtual management committee meeting, September 28, of city officials led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Health Services Office (HSO) head Dr. Rowena Galpo said the endeavor is timely since about 80 percent of Covid-19 patients are under home quarantine.

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.

Galpo said she is currently meeting with Management Information and Technology Division  personnel  and Baguio-Benguet Medical Society to adopt the project and modify it to the needs of the Summer Capital’s residents.

If realized, she said the free digital platform will allow volunteer doctors to check on how the patients are doing, give them instructions on what to do while on quarantine, offer them encouragement, and the like.

The Mayor gave his approval for the project and said that it should be set up at the soonest possible time since this will be very beneficial for covid-19 patients who are home quarantined.

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