Just like any typical Third World country, the Philippines is hard pressed in delivering health services to its people for several reasons, such as dearth in resources, burgeoning population and red tape, among others. Nevertheless, the openness to partner with the private sector and the emergence of digital technologies has enabled the government to face the challenges in delivering the vital health services to the people.
In response, Royal Philips recently introduced a new campaign to address the rising rates of maternal-mortality cases in the Philippines. According to a research done by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the Philippines is one of 68 countries which contribute to 97 percent of maternal-, neonatal- and child-health death worldwide.
In response, Philips, a diversified health and well-being company focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation, has launched “Philips MOM [Mobile Obstetrics Monitoring] to facilitate care for pregnant mothers in under-served areas, such as the barrios in the Philippine hinterlands.”
Urasinee Patasongkram, country manager for Philips Philippines Inc., said the current campaign aims to encourage Filipinos to be active in promoting maternal health and preventing maternal death. “It also seeks to empower expectant mothers by bringing its telepath solution to rural areas, where there is little access to medication and affordable hospitalization,” she said.
In his presentation during the news briefing, Philips Asean Director of Strategy and New Business Development Bruno Occhipinti pointed out that MOM is a mobile-based software solution that allows community or barangay health-care workers to perform antenatal risk stratification, receive diagnostic assistance and assess a patient’s progress via a mobile device to enhance maternal care in community settings for expectant mothers.
Occhipinti said the MOM software contains the MOM web app, the MOM caregiver app and the MOM doctor app.
For the health worker, Occhipinti said he or she can use the app in registering a patient, recording a pregnancy data and other vital measurements, collect data offline and update patient records. The app is available in English and Bahasa. The app is available only on the Android system.
As far as the doctors are concerned, Occhipinti noted they can review a patient’s record anywhere, anytime. Meanwhile, MOM enables the health centers to record examinations, investigations, management and delivery details; send short messaging services (SMS) to patients, midwives and community health workers; generate reports and availability on a 24 by 7 basis.
“As a leading global health-care technology company, Philips strives to make the world healthier and more sustainable through innovation. Our global mission is to improve the lives of 3 billion people a year by 2025, and today, we are acting on that commitment in the Philippines,” Patasongkram said in her remarks during the launch held in Makati City.
“Philips Philippines Inc. is committed in making sure that we continue to improve the lives of Filipinos, especially the country’s expectant moms, by creating and improving the existing maternal health care program in the country,” she added.