"We need E-health because it brings health human resources to remote areas, delivers clinical expertise to regions where it is absent and badly needed to save lives, and it allows for better utilization of resources and expertise by tracking the allocation of health professionals," Angara said, citing some of the benefits of e-health.

Angara reported that COMSTE, together with the UP-Manila National Telehealth Center (NThC) and other stakeholders, are forming a consensus in strengthening the current local telehealth system and recently allotted Php100 million for the project.

Angara added members of the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT), a group of engineers dedicated to the improvement of low-cost biomedical devices and ICT for health, are also complementing the efforts being done by COMSTE and the NThC.