VACANT SPACES. The city government of Baguio is getting ready to operate a system that will allow Covid-19 patients to do home isolation and be able to consult with medical professionals who will monitor their condition. Mayor Benjamin Magalong said while the city logs hundreds of cases daily, most are asymptomatic and with mild symptoms, giving the medical facilities more spaces for other patients who need to be admitted. (Photo courtesy of Doy Tabi)
BAGUIO CITY – The city government here is preparing a system that will provide a telemedicine digital platform called “Bantay Covid” to serve patients who are on home quarantine or isolation due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Aileen Refuerzo, chief city information officer, in a phone interview on Wednesday said the city has started the training of those tasked to handle the application and they are just ironing out the procedures.
She said “the system is patterned after the program of Quezon City but is being modified to fit the needs of the city’s residents.”
The telemedicine consultation is spearheaded by the Health Services Office in collaboration with the City Mayor’s Office and the Baguio-Benguet Medical Society, Refuerzo said, adding that the city government is calling on volunteer doctors who will help in providing the service.
Using the system, the city’s health services office will be able to link up with patients who are on home quarantine or isolation, enabling medical professionals to assist them.
Since the start of the year, the Department of Health-Cordillera Covid-19 tracker has shown an increase in the number of active Covid-19 cases recorded daily, although majority are categorized as either mild or asymptomatic and allowed to isolate in their own home.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong, in a press conference last week, said the city has managed well the spike in cases since most of the patients are not admitted in hospitals.
However, he assured that the city has ample resources in terms of oxygen, medicines, and even spaces at the city-managed quarantine and isolation facilities. (PNA)
