Doctor’s Check-Up by Text Message
What do you get when you combine thousands of far-flung barrios, inadequate health facilities and the Filipino’s propensity for text messaging?
The National Telehealth Center (NTHC), that’s what.
The University of the Philippines has put text messaging to good use by extending medical expertise to patients who would otherwise not have access to it. Established just two months ago, the NTHC aims to address the “lack of government doctors in the Philippines, especially areas where they have lone practitioners”.
The government doctors use text messaging to refer “problematic cases” to NTHC, which in turn refers these cases to the faculty of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, (NTHC Director Dr. Alvin) Marcelo said.
I know this will not solve the problem of not having enough doctors in the barrios. U.P. is to be congratulated for this initiative. But there is still the issue of not having the medical facilities needed to treat patients in those barrios. The patients still need to travel to Manila in order to be treated for serious illnesses. Nevertheless, this is a good use of text messaging and cell phones, which are found everywhere in the Philippines.
via Inquirer
1 Comment
Good work to the National Telehealth Center!
Keep it up guys!