The company that supplied the Automated Telehealth Machines (ATMs) now being used in the province has turned over 11 Digigealth medical tablets for the use of municipal health officers.
The tablets will strengthen digital healthcare services by facilitating real-time data capture, electronic medical records management, and seamless health information exchange across the provincial health system, said Joyce Socao, Director and CEO of Time Medical Philippines and Digihealth Specialists Inc.
She said the rollout will eventually reach every municipality, with Catanduanes chosen as the pilot site.
Socao emphasized that the assistance is especially meaningful for Catanduanes, which continues to recover from the devastation brought by Super Typhoon Uwan.
“These tools will help strengthen preventive healthcare for our constituents,” she noted.
The initiative to put Catanduanes first on the list was originally proposed during the past administration by former Bulacan governor and company chairman Obet Pagdanganan, who sought ways to support the island province in upgrading its health service delivery.
The digihealth tablets are linked to the PhilHealth Yakap Program and integrated with the Automated Telehealth Machine, now upgraded to include more than 60 diagnostic parameters, such as audiometry and TB screening.
Socao explained that it is the system’s automated software that sets it apart. “This is a milestone for Catanduanes as the first province to experience digital-first patient exposure at the barangay level,” she said, stressing that true healthcare begins in the communities, where initial assessments and family health histories are recorded.
Governor Patrick Alain T. Azanza was also provided with a unit of the digihealth device, enabling him to monitor real-time data—such as the number of constituents visiting barangay health stations or receiving teleconsultations in each municipality.
All MHOs and personnel have been issued access credentials to use the system.
Governor Azanza expressed his gratitude to Digihealth and Time Medical, reiterating his long-held belief that “health is not wealth; health is everything.”
Provincial Health Officer II Dr. Hazel Palmes described the project as a breakthrough that addresses long-standing challenges faced by the local health sector.
She said the tablets support the vision of Gov. Azanza, who has been pushing for faster and more efficient health services.
“This technology will allow us to work together and complement an integrated system province-wide,” Dr. Palmes said.
Socao also acknowledged Dr. Angel Albert Lamban, Provincial Health Officer I, for his guidance in enhancing the features of the telehealth machine and assisting in the migration of municipal data to the updated system.