To help in the country’s battle against COVID-19 , the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office IV-A (DOST IV-A) and the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) deployed 106 units of RxBox to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) which is one of the designated COVID-19 referral centers in Luzon.
Developed by Filipino researchers from UP Manila and UP Diliman, with support from DOST-PCHRD, RxBox is a biomedical device capable of measuring a patient’s temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, uterine contractions, and electrocardiogram readings. The RxBox units were manufactured in partnership with IONICS EMS Inc., a local manufacturing company based in Laguna.
The device was originally intended to facilitate identification of patients needing control of chronic non-communicable diseases and to support maternal and child health care in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs).
Specific to the country’s COVID-19 response, RxBox will be used for bedside monitoring of vital signs, oxygen saturation, and electrocardiogram readings of patients diagnosed with COVID-19, especially those in severe or critical conditions who need continuous monitoring. The use of the RxBox device can reduce contact between patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and healthcare workers, as it provides an efficient way for healthcare workers to monitor multiple patients at once.
DOST IV-A, the implementing agency of the ongoing RxBox 1,000 Roll-out Project, will coordinate with DOST regional offices for identification of other COVID-19 referral centers where the remaining units of RxBox may be distributed.
