By Jorie C. Valcorza
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental – Drug-resistant Tuberculosis (TB) has become a very serious problem in recent years. The ancient scourge once thought to be under control has still remained a public health menace up to now.
Thus revealed Dr. Evelyn Magsayo, National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) Coordinator for region 10 before its partners on the Comprehensive and Unified Policy for TB Control (CUP TB) Team in Cagayan de Oro, recently.
But the Department of Health – Center for Health Development, region 10 (DOH-CHD-10) is on emergency mode and determined in its fight against the spread of the drug-resistant TB disease and in identifying affected patients.
“These cases are developed when TB care is poorly managed and can result from poor patient compliance on the Directly Observed Treatment System’s (DOTS) inappropriate dosing or prescribing of medication, poorly formulated medications and/or inadequate supply of medication,” she said.
Magsayo said that treatment of drug-resistant patients requires about 18 months or more, thrice the six (6)-month period requirement of the first-line anti-TB drugs treatment and the medicines costs about 200 times more expensive.
However, the medicines can be availed for free from the Global Support Fund (GSF) through the German Doctors Hospital, which will shoulder full treatment of the enrolled patients, she clarified.
So, DOH 10 now calls for full cooperation and support from its partners and the community in identifying suspected drug-resistant TB patients.
Magsayo bared that if the region fails to get at least thirty (30) of this type of TB patients to be enrolled every month, the GSF will withdraw its funding assistance to the project.
This has raised the alarm knowing that more of these patients are still in hiding and that the costs it would take to cure such disease is so high, if left untreated, and can spread more harm to the community. (PIA10)
52 from Mindanao qualify to join PMA Class of 2015
by: Maj. Eugenio Julio C. Osias, 4CMO, PA
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, MIsamin Oriental – At least 52 or 18.05% out of 228 men and women, who will compose the members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 2015, come from Mindanao.
All these upcoming cadets, who recently passed the very stringent process of deliberation and selection by PMA, took the examination inside the 4th Infantry “Diamond” Division, Philippine Army (4ID, PA), Camp Edilberto Evangelista, Patag, this city.
A total of 15,486 applied for the PMA Cadetship Program but only 8,007 were able to take the written and mental examination on August 29, last year, and only 1,192 passed it posting a 15% passing rate.
The said passers were required to undergo the complete physical and medical examination to determine who are fit for the service based on mental, emotional and psychological aspects, conducted in three (3) different stations in Luzon, Visayas, and here in Mindanao.
“We are happy that a lot of the PMA passers are from Mindanao. These 52 cadets who passed the selection as they took the examination inside our headquarters is a beacon of hope and an inspiration for future young leaders,” said Maj. Gen. Victor Felix, Commanding General of 4ID, PA, said.
Meanwhile, the new batch of cadets will report to PMA in Fort Del Pilar, Baguio City on April 1, 2011 to become full government scholars who will take up courses leading to a Bachelors of Science Degree. (4CMO, PA/PIA 10)
P10M anti-poverty projects to benefit Sinacaban, Mis. Occ. Barangays
by: Noemi Marla Cordovez Cinco, DSWD-X
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental – Some P10M worth of projects for poverty reduction has been awarded to six (6) barangays of Sinacaban, Misamis Oriental through the KALAHI-CIDSS Project of the Dept. of Social Welfare and and Development (DSWD).
These projects will be implemented in partnership with the local government units (LGU) headed by Mayor Dello Lood of Sinacaban and Gov. Germinia Ramiro of Misamis Occidental, said Atty. Araceli F. Solamillo, Regional Director of DSWD-10.
Among these projects are the construction of a trading post, road improvements, road concreting and concreting of drainage system, to be established in the barangays of San Isidro Alto, Senor, Katipunan, Poblacion, Dinas and Sinonoc.
Chosen by the community themselves through the conduct of municipal-inter barangay fora, workshops, barangay assemblies and financial and procurement trainings, these projects are products of the community's cooperation, unity and hard work as empowered individuals.
One of the big tickets of DSWD in poverty reduction, the KALAHI-CIDSS (Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services) aims to empower communities and help them develop and improve their way of lives by giving them seed funds for infrastructure projects.
Management and implementation of these projects are done by the ordinary people in the communities themselves who underwent different community empowerment activities by Kalahi-CIDSS.
Meanwhile, the KALAHI-CIDSS Project is continuously empowering and developing communities in the poorest municipalities in Region 10 along with the other anti-poverty programs of DSWD.
One of these are the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) which aims to improve health, nutrition and education by providing conditional cash grants to the poorest families, Solamillo said.
Another is the Self Employment Assistance - Kaunlaran (SEA-K) which also gives livelihood assistance to the economically active poor allowing them to have a continued access to credit, she added. (DSWD/PIA10)
Camiguin tightens standards on sewage disposal
By Jorie C. Valcorza
CAMIGUIN – Working to preserve the beauty of its pristine spring waters and beaches, the island-province of Camiguin now sharpens its policy on sanitary facilities.
Governor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo recently formed a technical working group to specially look into establishments selling food items or providing accommodations such as hotels, motels, lodging houses, resorts, restaurants, beach cottages, canteens, and kitchenettes.
The team, composed of the Provincial Health Officer, Provincial Sanitary Inspector, Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator, Provincial Engineer and the Provincial Tourism Officer was ordered by the Governor to inspect immediately all target establishments.
Initially, the group has covered almost all operators in Mambajao, where most number of the business establishments is also located.
Provincial Sanitary Inspector Vergelio W. Oyan said that the establishments they have inspected as of press time were all found to be sanitary although he noted that most of the septic tanks checked were old and needs to cleaned or better yet replaced with newer septic tanks, designed to retain and recycle waste water.
Aside from the sewage disposal system, the team also looks into the water supply level, manner of solid waste disposal, as well as on status of the cottages and buildings.
After series of inspection, the local government will formulate and adopt plan and programs that will help maintain safe sanitation in the province.
Being a tourist frequented island, the Governor felt the need to prioritize the protection of seawater from any source of contamination. (PIA 10)
IPHO pushes for healthy lifestyle to prevent heart diseases
by: Apipa P. Bagumbaran
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur - The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) intensified its campaign on healthy lifestyle to lessen the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the province.
Dr. Alinader Minalang, head of IPHO-Lanao del Sur underscored the importance of advocating and improving public awareness on cardiovascular diseases otherwise known as silent killers.
He said cardiovascular diseases are considered as a global epidemic by the World Health Organization causing about 35-million deaths every year worldwide. In the country alone, about 500,000 Filipinos are affected by cardiovascular diseases, he added.
He further cited that cardiovascular diseases can be attributed to unhealthy lifestyle like smoking, physical inactivity, hypertension, obesity and stress.
Other factors that contribute to such ailment also include excessive intake of fatty and salty foods as well as too much intake of alcohol, he further added.
As such, the IPHO culminated the Heart Month celebration on Tuesday, March 01, highlighting the importance of taking care of the heart and the vascular system by practicing the seven healthy lifestyle (HL) habits.
The seven HL habits includes no smoking; eating low fat, low salt and high fiber diet; regular exercise; maintaining normal body weight; maintaining normal blood pressure; avoiding alcohol and illegal drugs; and managing stress.
One major activity during the celebration was the conduct of Alay Lakad from the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Brgy. Datu Saber to the Provincial Capitol in Barangay Buadi Sacayo as early as 6:30am followed by a ‘hataw’ exercise at the provincial capitol gym.
Other activities conducted includes free health services such as body mass index taking, blood pressure screening, and random blood determination as well as sports competition such as volleyball, badminton, track and field, and tug of war.
The activities were participated by health personnel from the IPHO, Provincial Health Office, City Health Office, Amai Pakpak Medical Center, HOPE Foundation Inc. and health workers from the district hospitals in the province.
The theme for this year’s Heart Month celebration is “Moving Towards a Healthy Heart, Mag Healthy Lifestyle to the Max.” (PIA 10)
Health quiz road show in Lanao del Sur raises health consciousness among youth
by: Apipa P. Bagumbaran
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur - In an effort to increase health awareness and consciousness among the youth, the European Union (EU), through the Abellana & Associates, and the Department of Health conducted last February 27, the first-ever Health Quiz Road Show in the province.
Dr. Faisal Idris, City Health Officer, said the project which aims to encourage health-seeking practices is part of EU’s Information, Communication and Visibility Plan (ICVP) in the Philippines.
It is a very good intervention as far as the objective of imparting knowledge and information about health-related messages among the youth, he cited.
The quiz, he further said, was participated by 41 3rd-yr. students in public high schools throughout the province including this city.
Idris also disclosed that information kits containing topics on healthy lifestyle, maternal, neonatal and child health and nutrition, prevention of common diseases, and other health-related messages were given to all 3rd-yr students from the participating public high schools prior to the quiz show.
Datu Palawan Disomimba High School in Tamparan town won first prize while Rachman Pimping Maniri National High School in Marawi City bagged the second place and Poona Bayabao National High School got the third place.
All the winners, each, received mobile broadband kits while the champion received a laptop computer and the 2nd and 3rd runners-up got computer notebook and MP3 player respectively, the City Health Officer said.
In a related activity, Idris said they have launched last February 28, the Super Nanay Project, with a focused group discussion and advocacy on the different health programs.
Among the programs are the maternal and child health care and nutrition, as well, as family planning were discussed by CHO personnel to more than 50 mothers from Barangay Moncado Kadingilan, this city. (PIA-10)
Tagalog News: Puso pinahalagahan sa pagtatapos ng pagdiriwang ng Heart Month sa Lanao del Sur
by Bobby Ilupa, DXSO
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur - Pinahalagahan ang puso sa pagtatapos ng pagdiriwang ng Heart Month dito sa lungso, kamakailan lamang.
Kabilang sa mga gawaing kaugnay ng culmination program ay ang alay lakad, hataw, iba’t ibang palaro tulad ng volleyball, badminton, track and field at tug of war at mayroon ding iba’t ibang libreng serbisyong pangkalusugan tulad ng body mass index taking, blood pressure screening at random blood sugar determination.
Pinangunahan ni Dr. Alinader Minalang, Provincial Health Officer II ng Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO)- Lanao del Sur ang nasabing mga activities.
Mula Amai Pakpak Medical Center hanggang provincial capitol gymnasium o halos dalawang kilometro ang nilakad ng mahigit isang daang health workers ang sumali sa alay lakad.
Pagdating sa gymnasium ay sabay-sabay naman silang humataw ng mahigit tatlumpong minuto.
Matapos ang paghataw ay narinig naman ang iba’t ibang mensahe nina Dr. Minalang, Dr. Paisal Edris, city health officer ng Marawi, Elvie Cerveza, Maternal and Newborn Child Health and Nutrition coordinator ng DOH-ARMM at ni board member Ansary Maongco na siyang chairman ng committee on health sa ginanap na maikli at payak na programa sa provincial capitol gymnasium.
Binigyang diin ni Minalang na kailangan nating maintindihan ang kahalagahan ng puso sa ating kalusugan.
“Mahigit-kumulang 35 milyon katao ang namamatay sa buong mundo kada taon dahil sa iba’t ibang sakit sa puso na tinaguriang ‘silent killer’. Dito sa Pilipinas mahigit 500,000 tao ang apektado ng cardiovascular diseases,” dagdag pa ni Minalang.
Muling isinulong ni Minalang ang pitong (7) healthy lifestyle na kinabibilangan ng hindi paninigarilyo, pagkain ng pagkain na mababa lamang ang taba, mababa ang asin at mataas na fiber, pananatili na normal na timbang ng katawan, pananatili ng normal na blood pressure, pag-iwas sa pag-inum ng alcohol at ipinagbabawal na gamot, pag-ehersisyo ng regular at ang pangangasiwa ng stress.
Binigyang diin naman ni Cerveza na ang mga health workers ay dapat palaging malulusog upang mas lalong makakapaglingkod sa mamamayan.
Hinikayat naman ni Dr. Edris ang mga health workers na naninigarilyo na hintuan na ang masamang bisyo at kung hindi nila ito kaya ay dapat huwag nilang ipakita ang kanilang masamang bisyo sa kanilang mga kliyente.
Sinabi naman ni board member Maongco na siya ay naniniwala din na ang kalusugan ay kayaman. Nangako din siyang susuportahan ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Lanao del Sur ang lahat ng mga gawaing pangkalusugan sa lalawigan.
Ang nasabing mga gawain ay nilahukan at sinuportahan ng provincial health office, city health office ng Marawi, HOPE Foundation, Inc., DOH-ARMM, PhilHealth-ARMM at ng Amai Pakpak Medical Center.
Ang tema ng pagdiriwang ay “Moving towards healthy heart, mag-healthy lifestyle to the max.” (PIA 10)
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