More Than 700 Doctors Give Free COVID-19 Online Consultations

With the entire world stumbling upon the infamous Coronavirus, our country’s own health sector is starting to feel the challenges too.

Because of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), millions of people have been forced to stay at home. The 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) really has taken a lot from us; infecting more than 598,000 people across the globe, causing over 27,000 fatalities.

Doctors Are Now Giving Free COVID-19 Online Consultations
This image was taken from Reid Health | ReidHealth.org

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That being said, a lot of people grew worried as to how they can ask for consultation. Good news, more than 700 doctors give free COVID-19 online consultation to people who need it.

COVID AskForce

The Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) just launched the COVID AskForce. The COVID AskForce is the online portal that people can use for all the inquiries they have as regards the COVID-19. Take note that the portal will be detailing what they know as of the moment because not everything has been unearthed regarding the virus.

Dr. Gina Delos Reyes, a pulmonologist from the Lung Center of the Philippines, as well as a faculty member of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) set up the online platform to help the people with their questions about the disease.

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They have formed partnerships and groups with medical students, professors, and eve doctors for online consultations; and it’s for free!

Dr. Delos Reyes says that this is one way to “limit and decongest” the hospitals. This is also a sort of assistance and help to the frontliners.

It’s a way of limiting or decongesting our frontlines. Our countrymen, they’ve been disconnected from our doctors for a long time, with this online platform, we’ll be able to reach out to them, give them the information, and allay somewhat their fears.”

How can people access the free COVID-19 online consultation

You don’t have to signup or to sing in to anything; you might have to need a Facebook account, though. This is where they operate and it is the tool that they use in helping and assisting the public in giving the free COVID-19 online consultation.

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For the consultation, all you have to do is to go the Facebook page of the Lung Center COVID Ask Force. From there, you just leave the message that you want to send them and they’ll work on addressing your concern.

Overflow of people

Before the team grew to more than 700 medical doctors, the number of doctors and volunteers were just around 20 to 30 doctors. This definitely was not enough; and the founders of the Ask Force were aware of that.

By the 2nd day of the launch of the page, there were hundreds of requests and messages. That being said, the volunteers figured that they wouldn’t be able to meet the demand that the public has.

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With this ,they specified a system and a program as to how they’ll be able to control the flow of requests to the public. This is just some type of way of buying time until they get in touch with more volunteers to perform the consultation with them.

More doctors

From there, Dr. Jerson Taguibao, the head of the non-MD volunteers, enlisted the help and the assistance of medical students to help in creative and clerical tasks like management of the Facebook page; filing of the Case Investigation Forms (CIFs); identification of patients listed under Person Under Investigation (PUI), and so on.

In addition to the COVID-19 ask force which provides free COVID-19 online consultation, several medical doctors adapted and started their own consultations through their social media pages.

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Other institutions

The COVID-19 Ask Force is not the only institution open to giving free COVID-19 online consultations. In fact, the Manila Doctors Hospital Pulmonology Postgraduate also launched their free consultation portal with patients experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

FREE ONLINE CONSULTATION PORTAL:To unburden our Emergency team nationwide, we will be using this page as an online…

Posted by MDH Pulmonology Postgraduate Course on Tuesday, March 17, 2020

You can click here to access the Facebook page of the MDM Pulmonology Postgraduate College Facebook page.

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Here’s how you can consult with them:

  1. Read the disclaimer
  2. Hit on the “Send Message” button for your inquiries
  3. Begin the messages or the conversation with one of our doctors by sending the “Online Consultation” message.

NOTE: There are thousands of message and requests per day so kindly be patient. The volunteers are all doing their best to accommodate and address all requests.

Mind Nation

Other than the free COVID-19 online consultation, Mind Nation is also providing free online Psychologist consultation for all employees in the Philippines. If you think that you’re being anxious and stressed with the situation, feel free to ask for their help through consultation.

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Mind Nation is a network of clinical Psychologists who are experts in behavioral health coaching, to therapy for adults experiencing anxiety, burnout, depression, to extreme cases.

How can you get the free consultation?

Here are the mechanics of Mind Nation’s free Psychologist consultations:

  1. It’s open to all Philippine-based employees.
  2.  For the month of March, 500 free 30-minute consultations with Psychologists will be free.
  3. The consultations are available from 8:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. only
  4. Employees would be required to book using their company email to verify their employment. More so, it’s also going to be best for the mode of communication.
  5. Consultations will be done through a private Google Hangouts session.

Read: Things That can Put You at Risk For the COVID-19 Infection

You can book by sending an email to [email protected]Make sure to use the subject “FREE CONSULTATION BOOKING.” In the body, be sure to include:

  • Your Full Name
  • Schedule of Consultation
  • Preferred Mode (Video or Voice Call)

Mental Health for Frontliners

The University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman is offering a telepsychotherapy session to all healthcare fronliners for free.

For healthcare frontliners who need to talk to someone to better cope with the COVID-19 situation, the UPD PsycServ is here for you.

Posted by UP Diliman on Thursday, March 19, 2020

To set a schedule, frontliners can use the following contact numbers for the free services:

Viber or Text
09063743466

Alternatively, they can use this link to sign-up: bit.ly/psycservhcw.

As you may have noticed, many of our professionals in the country are extending their services not only to provide free COVID-19 online consultations, but also to promote a positive mental health to employees, especially to the medical frontliners who are in a constant battle to defeat the infamous COVID-19.

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In dire times of crisis, it would be best if people conspired and helped each other. There’ll be no use of power and position if we’re not going to survive this epidemic and for us to be able to, we need to strive hard. We all need to have a positive mindset that we’ll be able to defeat the Coronavirus.

What do you think about the initiative of our healthcare workers that they’re giving free COVID-19 online consultations? Would this add up to the path of betterment and development that we are taking a few steps at a time?

Just remember to be patient; these doctors and health workers are striving to answer and address all inquiries that the public has.

Source: CNN Philippines | ABS-CBN News

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