Medgate Philippines foresees a bigger role for telemedicine in the future of healthcare

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Medgate Philippines believes that by increasing and improving access to high-quality medical care, telemedicine will help shape the future of overall healthcare in the country and globally.

Speaking at a recent press briefing, Medgate Philippines President Stavros Athanasiou said that “The past year and a half has challenged our healthcare systems in unimaginable ways, while also changing the way many Filipino patients get treated,” he shared. “Throughout all that, telehealth services have proven to be a prime complement to traditional healthcare, acting as another avenue for treatment. Medgate is committed to providing those services to even more Filipinos as we continue to navigate the current health crisis.”

Just last year, the telemedicine provider saw a 170% jump in the usage of their services - leading to a total patient base of 1.5 million. In these consultations, Medgate employs a medical co-management approach where doctors with multiple specialisations consult with a single case. This means that an Internist may also treat a Pediatric case to get a better background of and solution for a patient's condition, contributing to high treatment rate for the provider.

This success is just the first step, as the company sees demand for its innovation increasing even more in the near future. Medgate will continue to innovate and grow its telemedicine core business as new technologies emerge. The advent of 5G broadband should make for an immersive high resolution video experience further enhancing the experience of patients. Advances in wearables, especially those with the ability to capture body temperature, blood pressure, and even blood sugar will usher in a new wave of customers. “The demand is there,” adds Athanasiou. “It’s now a matter of making sure that the proper services and infrastructures are in place to sustain the usage and provide telemedicine to more patients.”


Collaborations also seen to keep improving telemedicine access

Medgate Philippines also has ongoing tie-ups with some of the country’s leading HMO and health insurance companies including Intellicare and Generali. Through these partnerships, members can conveniently consult with a doctor on the Medgate platform 24/7, even having the option to have their prescribed medicines delivered.

"Working with Medgate provided a most valuable and differentiating benefit to our partner members. We were able to provide accessible, affordable, and compassionate care even in this most challenging of times." said Mario Silos, Chairman of Asalus Corporation (Intellicare).

These multi-year engagements with their partner HMOs and health insurance companies are in line with Medgate’s goal to provide the care that comforts to as many Filipinos as possible.

“We are very bullish about the growth of our partnership with Medgate,” added Maria Sharon Maranan, Chief Distribution Officer of Generali. “Telemedicine will continue to play a big role in healthcare as different healthcare delivery models continue to evolve to address our customers’ changing needs.” she stated.

“The work we do alongside our partners is important. This is the perfect time for us to work together towards furthering healthcare innovation,” said Medgate Philippines Country Manager, Ronald Estrella. “Medgate continues to further differentiate its telemedicine service from the competition. The company will be expanding its partnerships, growing its base of healthcare professionals, and will ensure multiple touchpoints for easier access for patients – be it over the phone, social media, website, or our upcoming mobile app.”



Avail of the Medgate Unliconsultation Plan for only PHP 999/yr (VAT Ex). Visit their website at medgate.ph.





About Medgate Philippines:

Medgate has been in the Telemedicine industry since 1998 and has handled over 11 million consultations globally in that time. Medgate has global presence in India, the Middle East, Philippines, and Switzerland. Medgate Philippines has been operating since 2016 and caters to over 1.5 million Filipinos who are members of Medgate's partners in the banking, health, and insurance industries. We strive to provide innovative and accessible healthcare to Filipinos. For more information, go to medgate.ph or follow us @MedgatePhilippines on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Municipality of Luisiana governance programs get boost with PLDT Enterprise BEYOND FIBER roll out

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In fulfillment of its commitment to support LGUs, PLDT Enterprise has linked up the local Municipality of Luisiana with BEYOND FIBER to further improve their delivery of public programs for its government offices and service of their constituents amid the pandemic.

Dubbed as the “Little Baguio of Laguna”, Luisiana is located adjacent to Majayjay and Pagsanjan. Popular for their cocoa and Pandan-woven products, the town remains to be one of the lowest reported cases of COVID-19 cases in Laguna with 113 cases, 2 deaths, and 106 recoveries to date.

To further support the success of COVID health campaigns and other government policies, PLDT Enterprise is deploying its latest fiber solution BEYOND FIBER to the government unit. As an all-in-one digital solution, the digital tools and Wi-Fi included in BEYOND FIBER will contribute in improving the municipality’s initiatives for disaster response programs, digitizing application and process forms, access to healthcare systems, and other public programs.

“The Municipality of Luisiana has always welcomed PLDT Enterprise with their warmest support. As a gesture of giving back, we’re deploying BEYOND FIBER to power the town with fiber-grade connectivity that will be helpful in furthering government programs, making collaboration, processes, and systems more efficient.” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President, CEO and SVP Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups.

Their impressive management are results of the LGU’s extensive health campaign against COVID-19, with its main thrust focused on proper information dissemination about the virus and promoting proper health protocols such as wearing masks, regular sanitization, and social distancing. Isolation units for suspected cases are also provided while a vaccine is still in development, all thanks to the united efforts of local task forces, Barangay Health Emergency Response Team, and sanitation officers.

Mitch Locsin, PLDT FVP & Enterprise Revenue Group Head, welcomes the strengthened alliance between the LGU and PLDT Enterprise. “We would like to thank Luisiana for their unwavering support and this is surely just one of the many more programs that we will be implementing in order to support our LGUs.”

Mayor Nestor Rondilla of Luisiana responds, “Our partnership with one of the most trusted and powerful solutions providers in the country such as PLDT is definitely a big leap in improving our initiatives, especially when it comes to aiding our citizens in recovering from the impact of COVID-19.”

Future plans of the municipality include expanding its technology by tapping into more PABX and fiber lines for its different government offices within the area.

PLDT has been a solid partner among enterprises and government in their efforts to provide services to the public in light of the challenges of the pandemic and the guidelines set to curb the spread of COVID19. The PLDT Group has also invested over Php 286 billion in the past five years in expanding their network coverage and further building into the most extensive fiber optic network in the country with 429,000 kilometers spanning the archipelago and abroad.

These efforts have helped empower PLDT’s customers and clients in enabling their own digital transformation journeys to manage and adopt to the new normal.

To learn more, visit pldtenterprise.com

#MateshipAndBayanihan amid COVID-19: Working together to support Bangsamoro children’s education

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to strain nations across the world. Economies, jobs, education and health system remain disrupted. Vulnerable sectors, especially those in developing countries like the Philippines, are entrenched deeper in poverty. Earlier this year, it was reported that the Philippines has suffered its worst economic contraction since World War II with a Gross Domestic Product growth of negative 9.5% by end of 2020. The nation’s total outstanding debt also climbed 3.5% month-on-month to P10.77 trillion.

The dire situation has enabled strengthened alliances, as nations on the mend from the pandemic extend support to struggling nations. One friend that came to the immediate aid of the Philippines is its Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific neighbor, Australia.

Australia and the Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties this year since the establishment of the Australian Consulate General in Manila. Through the decades, Australia has been a long-standing partner of the Philippines to address its development challenges in the areas of basic education, training and human resource development, public financial management, health, rural and community development, governance, assistance to vulnerable groups, infrastructure, and support to the Mindanao peace and development process.

Commitment to Development, Commitment to Mindanao

Based on latest data, the Bangsamoro is home to some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable communities due to a confluence of man-made and natural disasters. The region continues to lag behind compared to others in the country despite the gains made under the new autonomous government. Poverty incidence among families, for instance, remain at 53.6%. Basic or simple literacy, meanwhile, stands at 86.1%, way below the country’s average of 96.5%.

Australia’s development cooperation program in the Philippines thus puts premium in Mindanao, particularly in the Bangsamoro: supporting basic education reform, peace and stability, and inclusive economic growth.

Some of the past initiatives include the Basic Education Assistance to Mindanao program from 2002-2009; the Philippines Response to Indigenous Peoples’ and Muslim Education program (PRIME) in 2011-2014; and the Basic Education Assistance to Muslim Mindanao program (BEAM-ARMM) in 2012-2017.

Partnering with Save the Children against COVID-19

With support from Australia, Save the Children Philippines has been implementing the project Children’s Access to Quality Alternative Learning Modalities in Safe Spaces in the BARMM as part of the Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao program.

The project is a direct response to the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education’s call for a more consolidated and coordinated effort in responding to the emerging needs of children on quality education. It aims to protect every child’s right to learn amid the COVID-19 pandemic through alternative education and distance learning opportunities.

The COVID-19-adaptive project aims to reach 90 schools across BARMM’s nine school divisions using age-appropriate, gender-sensitive, inclusive, COVID-safe, and culturally-sensitive learning modalities. Direct beneficiaries include at least 14,400 children, 4,000 adults, 450 school personnel, and 100 partner institutions. The estimated indirect beneficiaries, through offline and online information, education, and communications materials, are around 362,000 children and adults.

Operationally, the project is focusing on developing and distributing learning materials for students and teaching packages for teachers and parents, as well as improving the capacity of teachers, parents, and other caregivers on alternative learning delivery during the pandemic. To keep learners and education personnel safe from COVID-19, the project also distributed Hygiene Sustainability Kits in schools.

The project undertakes advocacy campaigns related to children’s rights and protection, mental health and psychosocial support, and psychological first aid. This is in response to ground realities that the COVID-19 pandemic does not only cause health hazard to learners, but also takes a toll on their physical and mental wellbeing.

“We cannot afford to lose children in this pandemic. Aside from ensuring that they remain healthy and free from COVID-19, we must also do our best to guarantee that they remain learning in a place that is safe – physically, mentally, and psychosocially,” Muyot added.

“Our work does not end when the pandemic ends. We will not stop until all children, regardless of race, religion, sex, and status in life, are educated, safe, protected, and have recovered from the blow of this pandemic. We look forward to our continued and fruitful partnership with Australia in transforming this aspiration into a reality.”