MANDAUE CITY, Philippines–A month since they started operation, Mdaue Teleconsult already received 150 calls from Mandaue City residents, who were in need of medical and psychological intervention.
Dr. Ligaya Lakambini Dargantes, head of the city’s COVID-19 Patient Management and Patient Care Team, said that most of the calls came from patients who suspected that they had the coronavirus disease. Their other callers were from individuals who were suffering from depression and anxiety as a result of the pandemic.
“Our mental health issue still remains to be a taboo. Daghan naman gyud og triggers nga ni pukaw na to nga kinahanglan na ta to reinforce sa ato’ng mental health programs karun since the DOH and WHO have been also stressing nga mag expect na gyud ta nga musaka ang ato’ng psychiatric cases or mental health issues during ug after the pandemic. Nagready sad ta ana. (There are now a lot of triggers thus the need for us to reinforce our mental health programs and after the DOH and WHO have also been stressing that we should be expecting an increase in psychiatric cases or mental health issues during the pandemic. We are ready for that),” she said.
Dargantes said that they now coordinating with the Philippine Mental Health Association to launch a community-based mental health program for Mandaue City residents.
She said that Councilor Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, the head of the City Council’s health committee, was also planning to pass an ordinance to further enhance the city’s mental health programs.
Mdaue Teleconsult was launched in October to cater to individuals who are in need of medical consultation but are afraid to leave their homes because of the pandemic. They provide online consultation from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight.
Appointments with their clients were set through their Mdaue Teleconsult Facebook page or through calls made with the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) hotline.
Since they started their operation, Dargantes said they already received a total of 150 calls for assistance.
Prior to the launch of the city’s online consultation program, Dargantes said were already giving counseling to COVID-19 patients who were staying at the city’s isolation facility. / dcb