A physician and entrepreneur has been providing free online medical consultation for several months now, as the coronavirus pandemic made it more challenging for poor Filipinos to go to hospitals because of the quarantine restrictions.
Dr. Jeaneth Diaz Aporo offers her services for free, supported by her pharmaceutical venture that manufactures disinfectants for household and personal care.
“I am a doctor practicing at a private clinic, but when the COVID-19 pandemic started, I decided to give my consultation services for free to everyone because I know how difficult these times can be. It is my little way of extending help,” Dr. Aporo says via e-mail.
She patiently communicates with patients via Facebook messenger to determine their health concerns before prescribing medicine or referring the patients to hospitals for further diagnosis. “I render free online medical consultation and scheduled in-clinic consultation,” she says.
On why she does this, she explains: “It is my life-long pursuit to help more people by creating a bigger free private medical consultation community.”
She is currently studying sign language to accommodate differently-abled patients and is busy preparing for a series of donation drives.
What supports her personal advocacy is Belsi Pharmaceutical—a company she established to deliver top-quality cosmetic and medical products to Filipinos.
“I needed extra income to continue rendering my services for free, so I decided to try and unleash my inner entrepreneurial spirit by coming up with something that cannot only generate income, but also help my fellowmen,” she says.
Belsi Pharmaceutical’s flagship product is Germs Off 70% Isopropyl Alcohol—a topical hand sanitizer that can be used to easily sanitize hands especially when water is not available.
The company, located along Capulong Highway in Manila, has 10 employees. It product is registered with the Food and Drug Administration.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, many sellers are taking advantage of the strong demand for alcohol by selling unregistered products. Our product is FDA-approved,” Dr. Aporo says.
“Germs Off 70% Isopropyl Alcohol has a mild but lasting sweet scent that everybody loves. Our commitment is to give Filipinos peace of mind by distributing legitimate, quality hand sanitizing solution,” she says.
Dr. Aporo says the product has already built a loyal customer base. “We are moving forward towards a successful business brand. We believe that even after this pandemic, our product will be considered part of the new society norm,” she says.
She says while the quarantine restrictions have brought challenges particularly in terms of logistics, the company has become more creative to reach its consumers by tapping third-party delivery services. “Sometimes, I deliver the products myself,” Dr. Aporo says.
Encouraged by strong demand for the product, Belsi Pharmaceutical plans to expand and launch new products related to personal hygiene, household cleaning and essential medicines.
“We are very positive that our company will reach its height in the next year or two. We expect a steady increase in the number of clients as a response to consumers’ product satisfaction,” she says.
Dr. Aporo says her parents have helped her become who she is today. “I am a registered medical technologist and a licensed physician. My mom worked as a nurse and I guess that is where I got my love for the medical profession,” she says.
“My dad is a retired policeman and a successful businessman in the metal scrap industry. This is where I got my entrepreneurial nature, seeing him over the years change from one business to another. They are very supportive of all my endeavors which makes me all the more confident at work,” she says.
Dr. Aporo encourages other entrepreneurs to pursue their business ventures with honesty and compassion, in the face of both success and challenges.
“Be honest, have compassion and exhaust all possible resources to reach your business goals. It is expected to be difficult and challenging but that’s what will make it a sweeter success,” she says.