By Joey Pavia | Correspondent
TACLOBAN CITY—Smart Communications Inc. and other groups, including Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), on February 16 launched a pioneering and innovative health-care service at coastal areas here and in Biliran province. Both areas were severely hit by Supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013.
At least six coastal villages at the Anibong District here and six more barangays in Biliran, which is at least 115 kilometers from this city, are benefiting from the e-Health Centers designed to address the continuing demand for inclusive access to health care.
The projects were started in the last quarter of 2015, but the official launching was on February 15 in Naval, Biliran and here the following day.
The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) led the launch and creations of the projects supported by Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez.
Rene “Butch” Meily is the president of the PDRF and Manuel V. Pangilinan, head of Smart-Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., is cochairman of the private disaster preparedness and operations office.
The HPE was represented by its managing director, Ryan Guadalquiver, and Bernard Chua.
The e-Health Centers are “doctor-less” facilities and manned by trained nurses and other personnel of the city government, Makati Medical Center Foundation Executive Director Marge Macasaet Barro said.
She arrived during the official launch with General Surgeon Darryl Diel Santiago and Internist Juan Armando Diaz of the Makati Medical Center (MMC).
“The doctors of the MMC in 17 departments are providing free medical services to the people. We were always asked by MVP to keep helping,” said Barro, referring to Pangilinan, who also controls the MMC.
Diaz, chief resident of the MMC’s Department of Internal Medicine, said providing primary health care through an e-Health Center “is the next best thing” compared to actual checkup on a person.
“But some people living in remote places will not travel far just to get a checkup. We can save lives and prevent serious illness if doctors can provide immediate primary health-care service through the technology,” Diaz said.