TMC south Luzon opens drive-thru laboratory to meet patients’ needs
GIVING in to the requests of residents living in the hospital’s vicinity, The Medical City (TMC) South Luzon recently launched its Labworks Drive-thru in a bid to provide its patients with a safer and more convenient option for laboratory services.
Dr. Cesar Ramon G. espiritu, President and CEO of TMC South Luzon, said the drive-thru actually started on June 19, 2020 and at that time, the hospital only offered RT-PCR tests and Rapid Tests “because there was a high demand for it and there were very limited facilities in the area for which to go and have the tests done.”
The Labworks Drive-thru services now also include blood extractions for the most common blood chemistry tests which are done in the comfort and convenience of the patient’s vehicle. For X-rays and ecgs, patients will be instructed to park in front of the clearly marked tent where the tests can be done in less than 30 minutes. Tests to be done at the drivethru are by appointment only.
second hospital
TMC South Luzon is the second hospital in the TMC Network to offer drive-thru laboratory services. The Medical City main hospital in Pasig City opened its Drive-thru Lab Service for blood works, including ECLIA last August 24, 2020. The
service is available Mondays to Sundays, including holidays from 7 am to 6 pm at the back of TMC.
“This program is our response to the growing requests of clients for a safe and convenient process to have their common lab exams done. Through this, we eliminate the need to have to enter the hospital just for simple tests,” Dr. espiritu said. “Although this was spurred by the current health crisis, we foresee that this service will even outlive the pandemic because of its positive features and advantages.”
Consistent with The Medical City’s philosophy of patient partnership, Dr. espiritu said that at TMC South Luzon, they serve their patients’ health-care needs with all the considerations of how they themselves would be treated.
“When we started the drive-thru, the operating hours were from 9 am to 12 noon. However, we started getting requests if we could start earlier because patients wanted to drop by for the tests before they go to the office. We also received requests from other patients who wanted their tests done in the afternoon,” he said. “We studied the proposal and now the drive-thru is open every day from 8 am to 12 noon and from 4 pm to 7 pm.”
Home care services
TMC South Luzon also offers home care and teleconsultation services. Through a phone-in appointment, the home care staff will visit the patient at home at his requested schedule. Common home care services being offered are laboratory tests, ECG, nursing procedures, stoma and wound care, and physical medicine rehabilitation. Whether the patient’s reason be a physical disability, health limitation or just plain convenience, TMC South Luzon will gladly cater to their needs in the comfort and safety of their home.
Teleconsultations, on the other hand, allows doctors and patients to interact and, at the very least, provide immediate relief to common and even urgent problems with the aid of current technology and platforms.
“We will also be launching our mobile clinic soon and with this, we will be able to cater to more patients so that their health-care needs can be taken care of without having to go to the hospital,” Dr. espiritu said.