A year ago, just after Easter, I remember being downcast having missed the usual Easter lunch gathering with family members at my parents’ house. It has been a tradition as far back as I can recall. Now a year after and we have the announcement that the NCR/Metro Manila is still further on to its nth period of quarantine restrictions because of the rising COVID-19 infections. It is really a downer for many of us and makes me green with envy that while other countries are now vaccinating their populations in the millions, the Philippines is barely out of the gate yet in terms of reaching out into our masses and attaining that long-dreamed “herd immunity” that we have often heard about.
Yet the Filipino will survive, nonetheless, despite the bungling and missed opportunities of our pandemic managers. It is to the individual and creative efforts of our people that will enable us to go through this and not by those with officious titles and government gobbledygook.
COVID-19 testing is one example of how a government agency, the Department of Health (DOH), has mishandled and mismanaged this pandemic even at the early stage. Filling the gap are our private providers which have evolved into full-time, round-the-clock service available at your doorstep. Yes, my friends, this is COVID-19 testing on wheels which is a relief to many of us who have been hunkered at home through all these months because of the quarantine restrictions to travel or simply because we do not want to be infected by the virus.
It is a change in the paradigm of health care which is individual- or home-centered, highly mobile, and moreover, safe and secure for us at home. The approach is something that is relevant to our situation given the preponderance of people who have not been immunized and the rampant spread of COVID-19 mutations that now threaten to invalidate existing vaccines. Or take the recent news out of China that indicates their vaccines which are exported to many countries like the Philippines needs to be reinforced by the MRna variety (messenger RNA vaccines using the revolutionary genetic technology that Western countries have harnessed).
A cursory look at the Internet shows a number of private companies able and willing to provide the COVID-19 testing that you or your family would require. Take Aide, which you can book a variety of services from blood or COVID tests to doctor or nurse visits, too. There are also services for vaccinations and physical therapy. They have a website and an app filled with services to choose from. Or Zennya which is an app that used to be known for manicures, pedicures and massages. During the pandemic, they pivoted and began offering health services. On-demand COVID testing has become their specialty nowadays. On top of that, you can also book lab tests, virtual consults, vaccinations and IV drip therapies.
Then there is also Hi-Precision Diagnostics which has branches scattered all over the country, making access to their clinics very convenient even if you are not in larger cities. Despite the number of clinics, you can easily book an appointment and have their medical professionals visit you at home. They also offer park and swab testing as well at their multiple locations. In short, there are more than a dozen providers that cater to your requirements and purse. According to Isabel Martel Francisco of Tatler, “Home service medical care is a must these days. From COVID-19 swabs to blood tests or regular check-ups, these medical professionals can come to you. These days, home service has never sounded better. With cases soaring, we are all getting a bit paranoid and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. So, if you are in need of a test or if you will need to book group testing for your offices when a more regular work schedule resumes, then take note of these businesses, all of whom offer house calls… to make life a bit easier”.
I have written previously about food delivery on wheels and of ordering groceries via the Internet for home delivery or pick-up which are changing the landscape of the retail industry not only in these pandemic times but in the years ahead. So let me add health care mobile services to that long list of how the pandemic has changed the complexion of our lives. It goes without saying that we need our social institutions and policies to change in this shifting environment as well. These are the home based COVID testings and then there is also telemedicine (which needs an entire column as well). Does Philhealth include such treatments/health activities in its ambit? I don’t think so considering that it was only last month that Philhealth announced that they would pay part of the cost if you are a COVID-19 patient confined to a tent outside the hospital because there is no room for you at the ER or ICU. My sister-in-law had to pay full costs last August 2020 for the 3 days that she was in a tent hooked to an oxygen tank. So, the world is changing but our laws and policies are not? More of a downer. Welcome to another dreary year of the pandemic.