Robredo's telemedicine project closed April 17-18 for automation

The Office of Vice President Leni Robredo will suspend its Bayanihan E-Konsulta, a free telemedicine service, from April 17 to 18 to give time for automation of its operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Robredo said Friday.

“We will not be taking new requests on Saturday and Sunday (April 17 to 18) as we transition into more automated operations. Our platform will be open again for new requests on Monday, April 19,” she said in a statement.

Robredo cited that the Bayanihan E-Konsulta initiative is the most challenging among her office’s pandemic-related activities.

The project was complemented with a pilot run of a mobile laboratory which will provide COVID-19 test, blood test and x-ray in Quezon City launched this week in an effort to decongest Metro Manila hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.

“Our chat groups run morning to night—for pre-screening at call bridging, follow-up, referrals, etc. Araw-araw, dagsa ang notifications,” Robredo said.

“Bayanihan E-Konsulta’s operations are complex, with a lot of moving parts, all in a bid to make the service as simple as possible for our patients, especially those who have little access to technology and gadgets and have no internet connection,” she added.

To date, Robredo said 642 doctors signed up as volunteers to do free teleconsultations, with three of them working for Bayanihan E-Konsulta on full-time status to supervise the project’s triage system.

Likewise, the project received 1,974 sign-ups for non-medical volunteers, more than 700 of which have been on boarded.

“We are currently enlisting more volunteers,” Robredo added.

Robredo said that 87 of her staff are dedicated to Bayanihan E-Konsulta’s operations.

“All groups work to serve numerous requests,” she added.

As of April 16, the Bayanihan E-Konsulta was able to process the following number of transactions:

• 516 for April 7
• 3,270 for April 8
• 2,106 for April 9
• 1,767 for April 10
• 2,014 for April 11
• 1,658 for April 12
• 1,354 for April 13
• 1,428 for April 14  and
• 685 for April 15

—Llanesca Panti/LDF, GMA