DOH creating COVID-19 home care kits

The Department of Health (DOH) is working on home care kits for COVID-19 patients upon the instruction of the Office of the President, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Monday.

The health official said the kit will contain “basics” like vitamins and paracetamol as well as instructions on how to seek medical consultation through telemedicine platforms.

“The Office of the President mismo ang nag-meeting sa amin tapos sabi nila, ‘yung home care package, gawin niyo ‘yan para ‘yung ating mga kababayan, if they wish to stay home or if they are asked to stay home, they are confident because they have this kit,” Vergeire said in an interview on ANC.

(The Office of the President told us in a meeting to create a home care package for the public so that if they wish to stay home or if they are asked to stay home, they are confident because they have this kit.)

Vergeire said the DOH is working with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on financing the kits.

“It’s going to be linked to our financing mechanism through our social health insurance kaya medyo po nagtatagal tayo nang kaunti pero immediately naman po ang utos sa atin para maipatupad. Inaayos lang po natin ‘yung financing mechanism,” she said.

(It’s going to be linked to our financing mechanism through our social health insurance, that’s why it's taking a while but the order was for us to implement this immediately, so we are just working on the financing mechanism.)

A fresh surge in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces has overwhelmed the healthcare system in the capital region, forcing patients to turn to home care or telemedicine services. 

The Philippines has logged 997,523 COVID-19 cases with 903,665 recoveries and 16,783 deaths as of Sunday afternoon. —KBK, GMA News