Rainy days are here and with it are the usual diseases associated with the monsoon season such as flu and dengue. It’s always good to be prepared like having flu shots, or if you can afford it, dengue vaccine for the whole family. Children and senior citizens are vulnerable to these diseases so prevention is always better than cure. Early detection is also very important so if you see symptoms, it’s always best to consult your doctor immediately. Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done.
There are still a lot of Filipinos especially in the provinces who do not consult the doctor even if they observe symptoms of a disease. Some folks especially in the rural areas prefer to go to the local healers while others with internet access search for articles about the disease and get advice from websites which are sometimes not reliable.
You really can’t blame them because there’s really not enough doctors in the Philippines. The ratio of doctors to patients is appalling, in rural areas there are 3 doctors to 100,000 patients and 7 doctors to 10,000 patients in urban areas. Even in a highly urbanized city such as Bacolod, you have to wait in line for your doctor’s appointment.
Experts identified three gaps in the Philippine’s healthcare industry which are accessibility, timeand affordability. Technology will play a vital role in bridging these gaps because we just can’t produce enough doctors in just a few years.
Here comes KonsultaMD, a telecare company which is a 24/7 health hotline service manned by licensed Filipino doctors. Through KonsultaMD, patients will get immediate and affordable medical attention with no waiting time, anywhere in the Philippines.
How to Subscribe to KonsultaMD
KonsultaMD is available to Globe postpaid and prepaid subscribers and Touch Mobile subscribers. Globe postpaid customers can subscribe to KonsultaMD for a monthly fee of P150which can be used by up to four additional household members. That’s half of the current doctor’s consultation fee of P300! Globe prepaid and TM customers can subscribe for P15 a week, P60 a month, P120 every 2 months or P180 per quarter. Subscription fee is waived for Platinum and Elite members. A special calling rate of P1/min applies if you use Globe mobile phone and free with a Globe landline. You may subscribe by signing up at www. konsulta.md
KonsultaMD is not a replacement for face-to-face consultation. Rather, it provides interim care especially at times when you don’t have immediate access to a doctor. If you have kids or senior citizens at home, it’s really important to have easy access to professional medical information.
Personal Experience with KonsultaMD
I’m a subscriber to KonsultaMD for four months already and it’s really very helpful. A month ago, I had whooping cough for about a week and I felt I really had to see a doctor. I went to my healthcare provider but unfortunately, medical consultation is not covered, so I had to pay consultation fee. After checking my breathing and a short interview, the doctor said it’s allergic cough so she prescribed anti allergy medication for for a week.
After a week, I still had cough but I was so busy I don’t have time to visit the doctor again. I called the KonsultaMD hotline and I was immediately connected to a doctor. I told him about my symptoms and that I had already visited my doctor and has been taking medicine for a week. He asked me about my symptoms and he concurred that it’s likely allergic cough and we discussed what could probably trigger it. He advised to drink a lot of fluids, avoid sweets, take vitamins to boost the immune system and change bedding and curtains at home because dusts may also trigger allergic cough. He also advised to visit my doctor again.
I no longer had to visit my doctor because after a few days I already felt better. It could be due to my medication or because I took the advice of the KonsultaMD doctor to change our curtains at home.
It’s not that KonsultaMD is better but you know how it is with face-to-face consultation, there’s a long line waiting outside the clinic and you can’t talk to the doctor longer than necessary. But with KonsultaMD, I get to ask a lot of questions without feeling guilty that there are other people waiting in line. The call charge is P1 per minute from your Globe mobile phone so even if you talk to a KonsultaMD doctor for one hour, you only spend p60.
Additional Access to Health Services
KonsultaMD has partnered with MedGrocer online pharmacy for door-to-door delivery of medicine and health supplements to ensure that its customers can have easy access to trusted drugs anytime they need it and wherever they may be.
MedGrocer, the ordering and delivery service of FDA-licensed pharmacy WellBridge Health, provides medicines for allergies and asthma, cardiovascular ailments, cough and colds, diabetes, hypertension, infection, pain and fever, as well as vitamins and supplements.
As part of the partnership, KonsultaMD members get P200 worth of free medicine on their first order by using the coupon code “KONSULTAMD”. To avail of this service, customers need only to visit medgrocer.com, text 0915 905 0555, or email orders@medgrocer.com.
Lucky for KonsultaMD subscribers in Metro Manila, the company has also partnered with Lifeline Ambulance Rescue, Inc. where its members get 50% off on Emergency Quick Response ambulance requests (i.e. P5,000/EQR request vs P10,000++ for non-members) as well as enjoy Lifeline member rates for homecare services which includes doctor house-calls, laboratory tests and minor procedures.
KonsultaMD is a very affordable health service provider which gives you access to a doctor 24/7. It does not replace a face-to-face consultation but it’s a good alternative when you do not have immediate access to a doctor. You’ll never know when you need one so it’s better to be prepared.