KonsultaMD, an affiliate of Globe Telecom Inc., said medical consultations through its app rose 256 percent in the first half of the year as more Filipinos opted to stay at home to keep safe from the COVID-19 virus.
The health tech service provider, which was created by Globe six years ago, said the number of users breached one million in the first half of 2021. These are users who enjoy 24/7 unlimited access to licensed doctors via voice or video call for as low as ₱60 a month.
“The pandemic propelled the growth of online health services and changed the way Filipinos interact with medical experts. People are afraid to leave their homes, hospitals are overcrowded so the adoption of telemedicine has absolutely exploded. We set new all-time record highs every month,” said KonsultaMD chief executive Cholo Tagaysay.
He said teleconsultation spikes whenever there is a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, like what happened in March and April this year when infections reached as high as 11,000 a day.