Here are medical teleconsultation services for Filipinos that cost everything from zero to Php33,900

By Coconuts Manila

Aug 19, 2021 | 4:34pm Manila time

Between the tightened community quarantine rules, the NCR’s “tiny bubbles”, and hospitals that are rapidly filling up, medical teleconsultation services have become more important than ever.

The Office of the Vice President launched the free and widely available Bayanihan E-Konsulta program in April, and the service that has become extremely useful for people in need of fast, reliable—and free—medical attention. The Vice President said earlier this month that the Bayanihan E-Konsulta team were experiencing a surge in calls as the country entered another round of lockdowns—400 by 6:30pm on August 6, for example, a sharp increase from an average of about 67 in June, and 375 per day when the service was launched during the surge in April.

As VP Leni Robredo urged Filipinos to take extra precautions, her official Facebook account also published this list of other teleconsultation services available to people living in and around the NCR. Most of the services are free and may be accessed by phone, online through their websites or Facebook pages, and through apps.

KonsultaMD offers yearly plans that start at P499 for one person, up to P999 for a five-person plan. In the meantime, The Medical City also offers packages with fees starting at P13,000; the most expensive plan, at P33,900, includes home service Covid-19 panel and RT-PCR tests.

Teleconsultation services are suitable for outpatients, or those who do not require hospitalization but who need medical advice from licensed physicians. Some of these teleconsultation services are meant only for Covid-19 patients, though others—including Bayanihan E-Konsulta—also see non-Covid cases.