1) Doctors and nurses in Surigao del Norte, Philippines created the Tawag-Konsulta (HEALS 911) program to provide telehealth consultations during COVID-19 while protecting healthcare workers. 2) Through a Viber chat group, volunteer doctors provided their phone numbers and schedules to take calls from patients seeking medical advice. Nurses filled prescriptions for free medications. 3) Over 889 patients have been served by the program and Facebook page so far. The local government supports the initiative through medication donations, test result delivery, and ambulance services to keep COVID-19 numbers low in the region.

1. Tawag-Konsulta Program
(HEALS 911) as a means to
protect Health Care Providers
and prevent the spread of
COVID-19 in the Province of
Surigao Del Norte

2. MU Relief Coordinator:
Jay Remy P. Gonzalez II, MD
Surigao del Norte Provincial
Hospital
Bad-As, Placer

3. Philippine Situationer
O57,545 confirmed cases
O1,603 confirmed deaths
O24,600 recoveries
As of July 14, 2020

4. Surigao del Norte
45 TOTAL REPORTED
CASES
8 TOTAL ACTIVE
CASES
0 TOTAL DEATHS
37 TOTAL RECOVERIES
* As of July 14, 2020

5. Keeping the numbers low…
O Early lock down and strict quarantine
O One quarantine pass per household for
necessities
O Early curfews
O Closure of non-essential establishments
O House-to-house delivery of food packs
O Closure of some OPD clinics
O Suspension of land, sea and air travel

6. Keeping the numbers low…
The strict entry and movement within the
city and its neighboring islands indeed kept
our numbers low, but it made access to
health care difficult.
O This led to a group of private and public
health practitioners to create a program
that would make health care accessible to
patients without compromising each
others’ safety. Thus Tawag-Konsulta was
born.

7. Implementation plans
O Through a Viber chat room, private and
government physicians volunteered their
numbers and time available for the
Tawag-Konsulta program.
O Nurses, drivers and mental health
providers were also recruited as well as
agents that will receive the calls.
O The program was presented to the LGU
officials and they promised their support

8. Implementation plans
Directory of MDs, their
numbers and “shift”

9. Getting the word out…

10. Getting the word out…
O Social media posting helped disseminate
the program that Surigaonons could call
certain numbers anytime during the day,
24hours a day, 7days a week
O An agent will then connect them to a
health care provider who will diagnose,
advise and issue a prescription at no
expense to the patient.

11. O A photo of the prescription is then sent to
the nurse-in-charge (Via Viber) and filled
by the team on duty if the medication is
included in the list of free meds.
*Random
screenshot

12. LGU Involvement
O We were fortunate to have government
support where the LGU volunteered to
provide some of the prescription
medications for free, relay to patients their
laboratory results, deliver them to the
patients’ residence, and sometimes even
provide ambulance service when transfer
was needed.

15. Logistics:
OThe provincial government provided
the call-agents, nurses and
ambulance drivers with a
“headquarters” at the provincial
center.
O Ample compensation, cellphone
load, meals and rest quarters were
also provided.

16. Performance Indicators:
OA call back is done to the patient
after the physician-patient call
consult is finished to solicit
feedback.
OThis includes a “rating’ for the call
agent, a solicitation for suggestions
and a message for their doctor.

19. Facebook page
O As a supplement, a Facebook page called
Caraga Kontra Covid was also created
where patients could send a message,
send photos, inquire about the latest
updates, put forward their health concerns
or simply chat.
O Several MDs served as admins of the
page and provided quick assistance and
replied to their messages quite promptly.

21. Facebook page
O This also served as a venue for posting
updates, infection rates, city and
provincial executive orders and the like,
mostly concerning the Caraga region.

24. Results:
O As of last update, the Tawag-konsulta
program and Caraga Kontra Covid page
has served 889 patients and continues its
operations in the service of the Caraga
region.

27. O It is our hope that in our limited capacity
as private physicians, we have helped
dodge a health crisis in our region and
have inspired others to be vigilant and
community-centered as well.
O Until the crisis is well over, the Tawag-
Konsulta program hopes to continue to
protect its health workers as well as
provide quality health care to the region.

28. Thank You!