PLDT unit teams up with healthcare industry producers

MANILA, Philippines - Leading telecoms and multimedia provider PLDT, through its corporate enterprise arm PLDT Alpha Enterprise, is teaming up with leading healthcare industry providers to launch a state-of-the-art and cost-effective radiological solution by early next year that aims to fast-track radiology reading processes for the benefit of local hospital and their patients.

In partnership with SMS Global Technologies (SMSGT), Philips Healthcare, and Medavis, PLDT is set to introduce the new radiology information system/picture archiving and communication system (RIS/PACS) solution that combines hardware, software, and network connectivity. This will allow hospitals and specialists to digitally access, archive, and interpret X-ray, CT-scan, ultrasound, and MRI images as a fully managed service offering on a more cost-effective, pay-per-use pricing model.

The RIS solution fully automates the hospital’s radiology processes from imaging to analysis. X-rays, CT-scans, ultrasounds, and MRIs are taken without the need for film and are sent digitally via PLDT’s Metro Ethernet connection to the Vitro Data Center.

PLDT FVP and head of PLDT Alpha Enterprise Jovy Hernandez noted the critical importance of the new solution’s role in the healthcare industry, a sector deemed “critical” for the PLDT Group which operates eight leading hospitals in the country.

“We at PLDT Alpha Enterprise are stronger than ever in our resolve in bringing best-in-class services and solutions to the healthcare industry,” said Hernandez.

As the second key component, the PACS solution automatically converts existing films into digital copies sent to the Vitro Data Center for archival. Radiologists can also access the files remotely, interpreting it accordingly and promptly. Patients are now assured of quicker, higher-quality results and diagnoses, as hospitals now have instantaneous nationwide access to experts.

According to SMSGT president Anthony Angeles “not all hospitals have in-house radiologists,” constraining hospitals to wait for outsourced radiologists to arrive on-site in order to interpret X-rays, CT-scans, ultrasound rading, and MRIs. He added that to get an accurate analysis, “at least two radiologists must reach the same interpretation during separate readings.” If there is no concurrence, a third radiologist must be consulted. With that, patients may be left hanging for results.

Philips country manager Fabia Tetteroo-Bueno is proud to be part of the “breakthrough” partnership. “This can help not only healthcare practitioners manage their CT, MR, and X-ray tasks better but also give patients a better sense of well-being and peace of mind when they get needed health information quickly.”

“We’re very excited to go to market with SMSGT, Philips Healthcare and Medavis to introduce this innovation to our customers, as this will be our first bold step in establishing a relevant health cloud in the country. We are highly optimistic that RIS/PACS could revolutionize local healthcare which allows hospitals to operate more efficiently, and providing better and faster health services to our countrymen,” Hernandez concluded.