HP Company builds eHealth Center in Tacloban

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 18 (PNA) –- The Hewlett-Packard (HP) Company through the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) has donated an eHealth Center in Anibong district, this city.

The eHealth Center, the first of its kind in the country, is an idea used in India by HP to address the medical and health needs of people living in remote areas.

“This is good for you because you will now experience the services that your expert medical practitioners provide for free with the help of technology that is present in this eHealth Center,” said Ryan Guadalquiver, HP Philippines managing director.

Guadalquiver revealed that the facility, including a similar project in Naval, Biliran is worth PHP150 million. Top HP and PDRF officials inaugurated the facility on Tuesday.

Two nurses will be assigned at the facility, assisted by village health workers to handle the hospital information system. The system captures the data of patients, which will be the basis of doctors to issue prescription and medical advice.

Internet connectivity of the facility will be provided by Smart Communications. The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company will come in to back-up the connectivity if Smart connection fails.

PDRF president Rene Meily said that the eHealth center is the first telemedicine center tried outside India. 

If this project succeeds, this will be replicated in other villages of the country where residents have not seen or consulted with doctors.

“We only want for this city to recover and be better than what it used to be,” said Meily.

The eHealth Center in Anibong will not only provide medical and health services to the residents of said district, but also to residents of nearby villages.

Village chief Charlie Tomanda Retuerto said that the facility will greatly help people, who are most informal settlers and with no regular income.

“We have two-year contract that whatever support they need from us, we are committed to help them,” said Retuerto.

Anibong district, a coastal area, is one of the hard-hit areas by typhoon Yolanda with more than 300 of its residents were killed by the mega-storm. It is also the place where many ships were washed ashore. (PNA)
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