Those at home who wish to consult with medical professionals or donate to front liners during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic may now call the University of the Philippines Philippine General Hospital (PGH) hotline following the launch of its hotline on Monday.

In a statement, telecommunications giant PLDT said PGH hotline 155200 will be available everyday 24 hours a day and supervised by medical professionals at the Covid-19 Bayanihan Operations Center within the PGH.

“PGH aims to provide assistance to the public and manage the influx of patients to its Covid-19 health care center, by enabling those who are ill to call and consult with professionals regarding the symptoms they are experiencing, without having to check in at the hospital,” PLDT said.

Aside from providing consultations, it will also accept calls from those who wish to donate personal protective equipment and other necessary supplies to the hospital and other front-liners.

The project was a joint effort between the PGH’s IT team and PLDT’s Enterprise Business Group which provided the dedicated hotline number, connectivity and call center platform.

The hotline can accommodate up to 20 simultaneous calls at a time and manned by volunteers from the PGH.

Previously, the PGH, along with the San Lazaro Hospital (SLH), and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), was designated by the Department of Health (DOH) as referral facilities to handle Covid-19 cases.

As of Monday, the DOH accredited the RITM, SLH, the UP National Institute of Health in Metro Manila, the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Baguio City, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, and Southern Philippines Medical Center as ‘Stage 5’ facilities or full-scale Covid-19 laboratories. (PNA)