711 healthline now a thing

CEBU, Philippines — To enhance 24/7 healthcare information and services across Region 7, the #0711 healthline of the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas has been institutionalized, said DOH-7 Regional Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas.

The #0711 healthline and One Health Command Center provides "immediate attention" and "patient navigation" as it facilitates patient referrals and caters to general health inquiries.

"Namugna nato ang usa ka call center nga diin maoy tawagan...(og) naay pasyente, asa ang bakante nga hospital, asa sila mo paingon aron dili magtapok sa usa (ka hospital) ang mga pasyente," Bernadas said during the Kapihan sa PIA yesterday.

The healthline is connected to municipal, district, and provincial hospitals, as well as level 2 and 3 hospitals and its apex hospital: Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Bernadas also explained how the healthline works. By calling the #0711 service, the operator will be the one to contact the appropriate health facility where the patient will be directed.

The operator will then schedule the patient to avoid a long wait and ensure they are correctly queued and properly attended to upon arrival at the health facility.

"Kon pananglitan naa siyay mga problema nga madala sa hospital, i-navigate nato ang pasyente nga ma-schedule siya didto sa mga hospitals nga asa siya paingon," Bernadas said.

"So motawag sila diha sa 711, ang 711 motawag sa hospital og asa siya paingon, ipa-schedule sila aron dili sila maghulat og dugay, makalinya sila og ensakto, ma antenderan sila og ensakto kon moadto na sila sa hospital," Bernadas added.

Private hospitals are also included in the service as they have an established unit that monitors the healthline.

Bernades said the deployment to public health facilities is free but private hospitals may include payment.

On the other hand, the Health Referral System is the electronic system that facilitates coordination among healthcare providers to optimize the delivery of primary care services.

"(Kani para) makahibalo sila asa sila mo tawag, asa ang bakante nga hospital, ug asa ang appropriate hospital pinaagi sa atong refferal system ug pinaagi sa pagtawag sa 711," Bernadas said.

Implemented in 2020, the healthline catered to COVID-19 cases during the peak of the pandemic. — Jonalyn Infante, CNU intern (FREEMAN)