SMOKE FREE AND HEALTHY PHILIPPINES, ASPIRATIONS OF PMA

Quezon City, Philippines- Despite the early morning drizzle close to 3000 runners from various sectors braved the weather and participated in the final leg of the Baguio City to Metro Manila PMA2PMA Smoke Free Philippines and Healthy lifestyle run which started September 18 at the Philippine Military Academy and ended yesterday at the Philippine Medical Association headquarters in Quezon City.

At the closing ceremony of the week long health advocacy run the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), through its President Dr. Oscar D. Tinio, supported by its professional partners the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA), Philippine Dental Association (PDA), Philippine League of Government and Private Midwives (PLGPM), Integrated Philippine Associations of Optometrists (IPAO) awarded Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis N. Tolentino a plaque of recognition declaring him their 2011 Smoke Free Champion for Metro Manila.


“We at the health sector would like to thank you for your unwavering dedication in the fight to keep Metro Manila Smoke Free despite the odds. The Metro Manila wide smoking ban that you have imposed is proof that you have the political will needed to implement what is right for our people. Because of this you have championed the rights of non-smokers to breathe tobacco free air in public places of the metropolis.” Tinio said referring to Tolentino.

For his part Tolentino said “the fight towards the smoking ban (in public places) is not over yet even if the temporary restraining order (TRO) has lapsed. As I speak to you now, tobacco advocates are moving towards a more permanent legal action against the smoking ban in Metro Manila”. “I thanked the Smoke Free Philippines coalition for your support. Let us be more vigilant in our fight to keep Metro Manila Smoke Free” Tolentino added.

Running priest Fr. Robert Reyes was joined by newly appointed Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo Lim and Optical Media Board (OMB) Chairman Ronnie Ricketts in the final leg of this one week event.

“I am supporting your advocacy for a smoke free, clean air and healthy lifestyle. Our beloved President tasked me to work for a cleaner and corruption free Bureau of Customs (BOC) in my new job as its Intelligence chief” Lim explained.

“We are joining your advocacy for a clean and healthy living. Pornography is contradictory towards clean and healthy mind. Most of these “smut” are peddled in our streets through pirated videos. Let us protect the tender minds of our youth against pornography” Ricketts appealed.

The event ended with the signing of, all runners and participants, on a commitment board declaring their resolve for a Smoke Free and Healthy Philippines. Dr. Mike Aragon, Chair Media Affairs, Philippine Medical Association (PMA)

OPLAN DENGUE ALERT CAMPAIGN OF PMA

The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) through its local component society, the Quezon City Medical Society (QCMS), launched yesterday its OPLAN DENGUE ALERT campaign starting with the intermediate students of the Congressman Rey Calalay Memorial Elementary School in San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City.

“Quezon City is one of the Department of Health (DOH) dengue declared hotspot in Metro Manila and we would like to rally the people of this city beginning with its most vulnerable population, the school children, to be aware and prepared against this deadly dengue infection ” according to QCMS President Dr. Rialisa Henson.

“Dengue can be prevented and we would like to educate our people, starting with the children, on how this could be done. Our medical doctors will be going from school to school to literally teach elementary students and also their teachers on the most effective way to evade this dreaded infection” Henson added.

“Besides teaching these young students the crucial need to maintain a clean environment in order to eliminate potential breeding grounds of mosquitoes we also train them on how to make effective home-made mosquito traps” said QCMS Director Dr. Michael Marasigan.

“As a matter of fact we are also organizing, among our students, Brigada Bulilit Health Clubs to encourage our youth to propagate, among others, the anti-dengue awareness and preparedness mentality to other children and even to their parents at home. Some of the practices that the bulilit club members are encourage to do is to advocate for the Four -O -Clock habit. This simply means that at four in the afternoon everyday they should start cleaning their surroundings and check for possible breeding grounds of mosquitoes in their area” Marisigan finally said.

“As the popular saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. We are therefore calling on everybody, starting with our school children, to do their share in preventing this life threatening infection from spreading. This simply can start with the proper understanding of what this disease we call dengue is all about” Henson finally said. Dr. Mike Aragon, Chairman, Media Affairs, Philippine Medical Association (PMA)

(From left to right): Dr. José Ma. C. Avila, National Journal Selection Committee Chair, Dr. Ricardo S. Guanzon, Vice President for Internal Affairs, Prof. Dr. José Florencio F. Lapeña, Jr., President, Dr. Filomena S. San Juan, Vice President for External Affairs, Dr. Madeleine M. Sosa, Secretary and Dr. Gerard Fabian Goco, Treasurer and Philippine Medical Association Vice President, Dr. Mardave S. Martinez. (RAFFY RICO)

QUEZON CITY MEDICAL SOCIETY NAGING KATUWANG SA 'OPERATION BIGAY LUNAS' NG MERCURY DRUG CORPORATION

NASA lawaran sina Dra. Herminio Gozar, Pangulo ng Quezon City Medical Society at opisyal din ng Philippine Medical Association na pinamumunuan naman ni Dr. Oscar Tinio. Katabi ni Dra. Gozar si Punong Lungsod ng Quezon Herbert Bautista habang nagsasalita si Kapitana Rosario Dadulo ng Payatas kasama ang ilan sa sampung doctor nakatuwang ni Dra. Gozar sa ginanap na ‘Operation Bigay Lunas’ na proyekto ng Mercury Drug Corporation kaugnay sa kanilang ika-66 na taon. Tinatayang 1,151 ang nakinabang na mga residente ng Payatas sa tulong medikal at libreng gamut na ipinagkalooban naman ng Innogen Pharma sa Mercury Drug. (CATHY CRUZ, PMA Press Corp/PsciJourn Mega Manila/ Liga ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas, Inc./DWAD)

BATAS NG ‘ORGAN DONATION’ PAG-ARALANG MULI - PMA

DONASYON O BENTAHAN NG KIDNEY, PINOY ANG DAPAT UNAHIN

BATAS NG ‘ORGAN DONATION’ PAG-ARALANG MULI - PMA

KAHIRAPAN pa rin ang dahilan kung bakit patuloy na namamatay ang maraming Pilipino na nasa huling bahagdan ng sakit sa kidney dahil tinatayang 32 pasyente ang namatay sa pag-asang darating isang araw ang hinihintay nilang donasyong kidney upang madugtungan ang kanilang buhay.

            Sa isang ‘forum’ na regular na isinasagawa tuwing Huwebes ng umaga ng pamunuan ng Liga ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas sa Hotel Rembrant ay nanawagan si Dr. Arthur T. Catli, Executive Director ng Philippine Medical Association (PMA) sa pamahalaan na dapat nang pag-aralang muli ang polisiya hinggil sa isyu ng pagbibigay ng bahagi ng lamang loob ng tao o ‘organ donation’.

            Ayon kay Dr. Catli, sa National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) pa lamang umano ay marami nang namamatay na pasyente na may mga malulubhang sakit sa kidney mula pa noong taong 2007 at tinatayang sa kasalukuyan ay nasa 570 ang natalagang pasyente na nasa ‘End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) ang napakatagal nang naghihintay na maisagawa ang ‘kidney transplant’. 20 na ESRD ang nasa listahan na pawang nanatili sa mga kilalang ospital sa Kamaynilaan maliban pa sa dagdag na 15 nakatala sa pribadong organisasyon bumibili ng organ.

            Binanggit din ni Dok Art na katunayan umano ng hindi maapulang pagtaas ng bilang ng mga nangangailangan ng kidney kabilang ang rehiyon ng Visayas at Mindanao maliban pa sa malayo ang Maynila at hindi uubrang magbiyahe ng napakatagal kung kaya pinayagang magkaroon ng pagtataga sa lalawigan ng Cebu.

            Sa pinakahuling istatistika ay nasa 300 daang katao sa inaasahang kabuuang 500 Pilipino ang kinakailangan ang ‘kidney transplant’ sa bawat taon. Maliban sa NKTI ay may iba pa ring pribadong hospital ang nagsasagawa nito kung kaya’t ang problema ng kakulangan ng mga donasyong organ ay hindi madaling malutas. Hiwalay pa aniya ditto ang 12,000 ‘dialysis patients’ at kalahati nito ang posibilidad sa ‘kidney transplant’. Kung susumahin ani Catli na ang 6,000 pasyente na dapat mapalitan ng kidney sa bansa at kulang sa 500 kidney lamang ang nakukuha sa isang taon ay lumalabas na 8 posiyento lamang ang nabibiyayaan.

Sa kasamaang palad, ilang mga pribadong hospital na nagsasagawa ng ‘kidney transplant’ ay mas kinakatigan ang pagbibigay sa mga dayuhan dahil higit na malaking kabayaran at insentibo ang napapakinabangan hindi lamang ng hospital kundi maging nang nagkaloob ng kidney.

            Kaya’t ang PMA ay nagsusulong na gumawa ng mga hakbang, proseso o batas upang hindi maabuso ang pagkakaloob ng organ na puwedeng ikonsidera tulad ng mahigpit na pagmamatyag at pagpapatupad ng batas ng Department of Health (DOH) sa pakikipagtulungan ng probadong sector, ang pagpapatanggal ng mga ‘organ brokers’, isang ‘government regulated system’ para sa mga ‘donor recruitement’ at pantay na pagkakaloob sa mga pribado at relihiyong sector, pagsasama-sama ng pamahalaan, pribado at relihiyong sector sa pagpapatakbo ng ‘post-donation follow-up’ ng mga nag-‘donate’ at panghuli ay aktibong pangangampanya para sa pagpapabuti ng ‘emergency medical services’ (EMS) sa bansa kaugnay sa mga kamamatay o namatay na pasyente ngunit maaari pang pakinabangan ang organ, ‘brain dead, o sadyang naghandog ng kanyang laman loob.

            Mahigpit na tinututulan ng PMA ang pag-abuso sa ipinagkaloob ng pamahalaan nang laya sa batas ng pagkakaloob ng organ gayong ilan sa mga ‘donors’ na ito ay nagpapanggap na sila ay biktima. Sa iniwang pananalita ni PMA Executive Director Arthur Catli kung sino nga ba ang tunay na biktima, ang naghihintay ng bagong kidney mula sa ibang tao na tiyak ang kamatayang naghihintay kapag hindi napalitan o ang mga taong nagbibigay ng kidney kusang-loob man o binayaran?   

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http://philippinemedicalassociation.org/