Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 22) — A non-government organization (NGO) led by former Vice President Leni Robredo will begin offering free teleconsultation services on Monday, July 25, the group announced on Friday.
On Saturday, the NGO said it will accept requests from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, or until the 150 patient cap for the day is reached.
Apart from COVID-19 consultation, the program will also offer general check-up services.
The Bayanihan e-Konsulta is a volunteer effort of Angat Buhay. It is a carry-over program of the then Office of the Vice President (OVP) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Robredo earlier said the volunteer spirit shown by supporters during her presidential campaign will be encouraged through Angat Buhay.
“Angat Buhay’s Bayanihan E-Konsulta will run every Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Its chatbot will be operational every Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 NN,” the NGO announced in a Facebook post.
Team leaders of Angat Buhay Bayanihan e-Konsulta had an orientation and tasking session led by the group’s executive director Raffy Magno and Keisha Mangalili, program officer for nutrition, food security, and universal health care.
Those with emergency cases are advised to proceed directly to the nearest hospital or clinic.
“The program seeks to assist COVID-19 patients and suspected cases in different areas across the country by linking them with volunteer doctors,” Angat Buhay said.
Robredo on Wednesday announced that the free teleconsultation services will reopen amid the rise in COVID-19 cases. She called for volunteers for their operations and said more than a thousand had already signed up in less than half an hour.
READ: Robredo to reopen Bayanihan e-Konsulta amid rising COVID-19 cases
Care kits will likewise be provided to symptomatic patients, as well as to any of the following:
“When we posted our call for volunteers, only minutes after, we went beyond our target number of sign-ups. We can surely see that this program is indeed a bayanihan,” Magno said during the meeting.
“You, our volunteers, are really the center and the heart of this program, which is why we know that we will succeed in ensuring that our fellow Filipinos affected by the pandemic will get the assistance they need,” he added.
Bayanihan e-Konsulta was first launched in April 2021 by the OVP under Robredo.
– elderly
– with comorbidity or immunosuppressed
– symptomatic for 3 days or less
– on day 3 or less of isolation
For clarification purposes, the NGO said there is no provision of medical certificates and financial medical assistance.
