With the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country also comes an influx of possible misinformation. The Department of Health (DOH) aims to address this with their newly-launched chatbot which serves as a platform that connects those who have questions about the virus with verified information.
According to the department, the chatbot named KIRA (or Katuwang na Impormasyon para sa Responsableng Aksyon) will serve as a source of reliable information about COVID-19 as well as the enhanced community quarantine guidelines.
During a virtual press conference, DOH undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said, “Inaasahan namin na ang ganitong mga inisiyatiba ay makakabawas sa pagkalat ng fake news at magsisilbing source ng reliable at verified information na mapupuntahan ng lahat.”
As of writing, KIRA is offering its free services through Facebook messenger (via DOH’s official Facebook page) and Viber as well as the website kontracovid.ph.
MAY MGA KATANUNGAN KA BA ukol sa COVID-19 na gusto mong matugunan nang mabilis at tama? 🤔
Narito na si KIRA, ang ating friendly KontraCOVID Bot, upang sumagot sa inyo! I-message na si KIRA ngayon! 💬#BeatCOVID19#WeHealAsOne#COVID19PH pic.twitter.com/luqUpo6eTo
— Department of Health (@DOHgovph) April 23, 2020
“Ito ay isang digital triage system mula sa DOH na kukuha ng personal na impormasyon, mga lokasyon, detalye ng sintomas, at exposure para ikaw ay maitala sa database ng DOH para sa health monitoring,” said DOH on the website, adding that KIRA only serves as a guide and is not equivalent to a doctor’s consultation.
The department is also currently looking into giving the public access to the chatbot via “free data” on all platforms by coordinating with different telecommunication companies.
Earlier this April, the University of the Philippines’s COVID-19 pandemic response team also launched a chatbot named Yani which helps provide information about the government’s policies on health, education, transportation and economic support via Facebook messenger and the website https://endcov.ph/. It also assists in linking users to psychologists and psychological support specialists, as well as finding hospitals near their area.
Header image by Oliver Graumnitz from Pixabay
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Writer: YANN MAGCAMIT
