Negrenses living in far-flung areas now have better access to government healthcare services after the Negros Occidental provincial government launched the telemedicine or telehealth program in partnership with the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), the Department of Health (DOH) end-referral hospital in Negros Island Region (NIR).

Telemedicine refers to the practice of medicine by means of electronic telecommunications technologies — such as phone call, chat or short messaging service, and audio and video-conferencing — to deliver healthcare at a distance between a patient at an originating site, and a physician at a distant site.

The memorandum of agreement for the telemedicine services of CLMMRH was signed by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Medical Chief II Dr. Joan Cerrada, in the presence of DOH-NIR Regional Director Dr. Razel Nikka Hao and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ma. Girlie Pinongan in a ceremony held at the Capitol Hospital Operations Department Function Hall here on Monday.

“This marks a pivotal moment for healthcare in Negros Occidental,” the Provincial Health Office said in a statement on Tuesday.

In a separate statement, the CLMMRH said the partnership signifies “a big step towards a more accessible and responsive healthcare.”

“Residents, especially those from remote areas, can seek specialty medical care without leaving home. It’s a practical solution to long-standing access issues and a big win for equitable healthcare,” it added (PNA)