Need for telemedicine
THE coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which continues to terrorize the world, has thrust out-front the importance of telemedicine in the fight against deadly viruses.
Saddening and disturbing are reports that people are now hesitant to visit doctors because of fears that they might contract the dreaded and deadly virus that originated from China.
That’s why we commend Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara for pushing the development of telemedicine as a viable alternative to physical visits to health workers.
Aware of the situation, the boyish-looking lawmaker said that technology and innovation play a key role in bridging the gap between patients and health care professionals.
“With COVID-19 being highly-contagious, physical visits to physicians are discouraged, which makes the situation even more difficult for the public,” according to Senator Angara.
Angara, son of the late Senate President Edgardo Angara, said the use of telemedicine could bring the necessary health care to our people and, more importantly, save lives.
Telemedicine, he said, is not a new concept. Back in 2010, his father, as chair of the Congressional Commission on Science Technology and Engineering, already noted it “as a game changer.”
Apart from giving people in remote areas access to basic health care services, the elder Angara said that “telemedicine will also create the foundation for digital medical records.”
And now, the young Angara is set to file a Department of Health-endorsed bill seeking to establish a Philippine health system.
Today, well-meaning Filipinos cannot overemphasize the importance of telemedicine at a time when people across the globe are dying of the deadly and highly-contagious COVID-19.
