PLDT, DOH launch hotlines for COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT and wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. have teamed up with the government to establish an emergency hotline for COVID-19.

The Department of Health (DOH) launched on Tuesday the DOH COVID-19 emergency hotlines 02-894-COVID (02-894-26843) and 1555 in partnership with PLDT, Smart and the National Emergency Hotline of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

PLDT chairman and chief executive officer Manuel V. Pangilinan said the collaboration is part of the telco giant’s continuing efforts to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“We hope that with our services, we can help provide much-needed information that will enable health authorities to deliver proper patient diagnosis and treatment and ultimately stop the spread of this disease,” Pangilinan said.

Through the hotline, callers can ask questions if they suspect they are infected with COVID-19, or request assistance if they have symptoms and/or known exposure to confirmed cases or patients under investigation.

The information collected from emergency calls would be transmitted to the COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center and other relevant agencies for immediate facilitation and response.

“As we enhance our efforts to contain this disease, we are working with both the public and private sectors, which can provide the facilities and the technical expertise to address the many challenges that we face each day,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

“We expect an influx of calls in the first few days of the launch of the call center. We ask for the public’s cooperation and patience to allow only relevant and important calls to go through. In that way, we can provide timely medical assistance to those who really need it,” he said.

The free 24/7 services will be available through 02-894-COVID.

Smart and PLDT subscribers will also be able to use the 1555 hotline for free.

PLDT said subscribers from other networks could access the 1555 hotline once technical adjustments are completed.

PLDT has been undertaking measures to ensure consistent and reliable services across government and private sectors during the course of the prevailing enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

The telco will be providing a speed boost for Fibr subscribers so the minimum speed will be 25 Mbps until April 30.

PLDT said this would be applied to residents of Metro Manila and parts of Greater Manila that include Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal “in the hopes that your family can work and study from home as seamlessly as possible.” 

Smart, Sun and TNT subscribers have also been given access to the official websites of the DOH, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Philippine Information Agency for free on their mobile phones.