P1B donation
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has committed to donate P1 billion as aid to medical frontliners to help in the government’s efforts to combat the 2019 corona virus disease COVID-19.
In a letter to President Duterte, NGCP president and chief executive officer Anthony Almeda said P500 million will be donated in the form of goods and medical equipment and the other half in cash for allocation to other COVID-19 response purposes, as determined by the Office of the President.
Almeda said the decision was approved by NGCP’s board of directors and major stockholders including Henry Sy Jr., Robert Coyiuto and the State Grid Corporation of China.
PPEs for frontliners
San Miguel Corp. said it is acquiring P500 million-worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health workers.
Ramon Ang, San Miguel president, said the company is currently mapping out available PPE capacity from its own suppliers while looking for domestic suppliers to help increase PPE production.
Ang said it may also be possible for domestic manufacturers to retool their facilities to produce the equipment and ramp up production to secure the supply chain. Government should provide the private sector with technical specifications and standards for PPEs, according to Ang. “It’s very crucial that we get more PPE — protective masks, gloves, surgical gowns, among others – out there as fast as we can. We are hoping to fill the gap and continue supporting our government in whatever way we can. Our health care workers and government responders are risking their own lives to save ours but they are running out of equipment to protect themselves,” said Ang.
“We need to streamline the certification and approval processes so that those who wish to respond can immediately provide the supplies our medical front liners need,” he said.
Hospitals group responds
Metro Pacific Investments Corp. said unit Metro Pacific Hospitals Group has created a crisis team to coordinate the activities within the hospital group to cope with the rising number COVID- 19 related cases.
Pilar Nenuca Almira, current head of the Cardinal Santos Medical Center and the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, leads the crisis team.
“The country’s health care system faces unprecedented challenges because of the ongoing pandemic, caused by a virus that is unfamiliar, and seems easily transmitted. Our Hospitals Group is focusing resources on critical concerns — particularly hospital care for the most critically-ill patients infected by COVID-19,” said Manuel Pangilinan, Metro Pacific chairman.
Almira said the group will be designating a hospital within its network to be the main referral facility for PUM/PUI and COVID infected cases, aligning the initiative with the government.. They will review their hospitals’ respective spaces, personnel and technical resources with a view to doubling capacity for COVID-related patients. Supplemental tents would also be made available should the pandemic rise in intensity.
The Metro Pacific Group together with its corporate foundations and other companies of the MVP Group such as Roxas Holdings, MetroPac Movers, PLDT and Smart Communications will cooperate and assist key government hospitals focused on COVID-19 patients such as the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), the Philippine Genome Center, and the Lung Center of the Philippines.
Telemedicine
Globe Telecom Inc. unit KonsultaMD is offering free access to medical advice through its telemedecine hotline for the duration of enhanced community quarantine, to complement existing government efforts in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
KonsultaMD, an affiliate of 917Ventures, said free Konsulta subscription is open until April 13 to all mobile subscribers even without existing membership. They may call 78880 via Globe/TM mobile phone or (02) 77988000 via Globe landline, other landline in Metro Manila, and other mobile networks.
KonsultaMD 24/7 health hotline service will be manned by skilled and licensed Filipino doctors who provide medical assessment and advice, including basic healthcare and permissible medication, over the phone. With KonsultaMD, the public will be able to get immediate and affordable medical attention, anytime, anywhere in the Philippines.
The free access will be good for 30 days, after which various rates will apply.
24/7 hotline for Bayanihan Ops Center
The University of the Philippines Manila Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) launched yesterday a dedicated 24/7 hotline number, 155200, for its COVID-19 Bayanihan Operations Center.
Through the hotline service, UP PGH aims to provide assistance to the public and manage the influx of patients to its COVID health care center , by enabling those who are ill to call and consult with professionals regarding the symptoms they are experiencing, without having to check in at the hospital.
The hotline is also a channel through which the hospital can accept donations such as those for personal protective equipment and other badly needed supplies.
The hotline service is a joint effort between UP-PGH’s in-house IT team and PLDT’s Enterprise Business Group, which provided a dedicated hotline number, connectivity and the call center IT platform.
It will operate 24 hours daily and can accommodate 20 simultaneous calls at a time, in support of the tasks of the COVID-19 Bayaniihan Operations Center which is also open 24/7. The hotline will be manned by UP PGH volunteers
Faster transport for frontliners
Ride hailing firm, Grab Philippines has deployed 50 GrabWheels e-scooters in Metro Manila to addresses the need for faster transportation of healthcare and medical workers to the front lines.
GrabWheels has been deployed in Manila, Quezon City, San Juan, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Marikina, and Pasig. Grab has more than 300 e-scooters that are ready for deployment to other local government units.
.Donations for business, community partners
Mondelez Philippines has initiated work from home and other flexible working mechanisms to suit different employee roles and moved to skeletal operations in critical areas to get their food products on retail shelves. Ashish Pisharodi, country director of Mondelez Philippines, “Our customers, communities and government are also looking to us, along with the rest of the food industry, to keep supply chains secure and food on shelves, so food does not become a scarce resource.”
Mondelez Philippines is currently empowering the community it engages with to get through this time. The Company, as well as its employees in their individual capacities, have pledged donations and other support, in cash and in-kind, for employees of its service providers who are unable to work right now and for the larger community.
