PMWA Marks 54th Year
 The Philippine Medical Women's Association (PMWA) celebrated its 54th Foundation Day March 13 at the PMWA building in Quezon City.
Inside the room named after its founding president Dr. Fe del Mundo, PMWA past presidents and outstanding members renewed their commitment to pursue the goals of the association.
A thanksgiving mass was held, followed by a celebratory program. In the candlelight ceremony, the past presidents were lauded for their achievements and contributions to PMWA.
Dr. del Mundo addressed the gathering. She spoke on the essence of charity. She cited Mother Teresa, the Hungarian nun who embarked on a mission of mercy in India, who said that helping the less fortunate means more than donating things we no longer want.
Helping means giving the best of ourselves, del Mundo pointed out.
PMWA was founded in 1949 as a sociocivic organization that addresses the concerns of women in all walks of life. Later on, it affiliated itself with the prestigious Medical Women's International Association.
Presently, the PMWA is deeply involved in several community projects. It encourages the different PMWA chapters to put up crisis intervention centers, which will cater to battered women and children in their respective areas or provinces.
It also prioritizes the harelip and cleft palate operation project and child-to-child program. The latter involves encouraging fifth and sixth graders to become interested about health, nutrition, and moral values.
Its national executive council for 2003 is composed of doctors del Mundo, honorary president; Esperanza Q. de la Paz, president; Rosa Maria Nancho, vice president; Teresita Capistrano, secretary; Rosario Pereda, assistant secretary; Angela Cruz, treasurer; Concepcion Lim, assistant treasurer; Ernestina Garcia, assistant auditor; Ophelia Manlapit, public relations officer; Mercedes Oliver, national coordinator of the Medical Women's International Association; and Herminia Cifra, immediate past president.
The Foundation Day celebration was held in cooperation with BIO FEMME, United Laboratories Inc.'s new division that specializes in products for women's health and medical needs.
Michelle Ciriacruz
Wipe out Leprosy-PDS
Vowing to do what it can to eradicate leprosy in the country, the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) marked National Leprosy Week last February with the theme A World Without Leprosy: Working Towards Elimination and Rehabilitation. The society launched projects designed to achieve this end "with commitment from the heart," declared noted pediatric dermatologist Roberta Romero in opening the celebration.
"It is my dream before I die that there would be no more leprosy," said Romero, expressing concern over existing sources of infection that have also been affecting children.
The PDS campaign hopes to identify and treat remaining cases and prevent further spread of the infection. "If we get them early we can rehabilitate them," said Romero.
The project is "not a sudden interest," but a "continuing effort in our battle against leprosy-the thrust of my term for the next two years," said PDS president Dr. Francisca C. Roa.
Reports place the leprosy prevalence rate at less than one per 10,000, but the PDS says this rate does not come close to being eradicated, which should be zero case. There are still pockets of cities and provinces where leprosy is seen and could easily be spread, like Leyte and Cebu. Some poeple are not aware that they have the disease and could therefore spread it.
In celebrating of National Leprosy Week, the society stressed the need to instill public awareness about this disease. The PDS will carry out a multimedia information campaign and find cases in areas where leprosy prevalence remains high. Screening of public school children will be enforced. To date, 17 schools have listed up for the program. The Philippine General Hospital and Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center will offer training and education on leprosy detection and management.
Dr. Bernard Rivera of the Department of Health's National Leprosy Control Program thanked the PDS and Philippine Leprosy Mission for their participation in the campaign to rid the country of leprosy.
Noting that children are most susceptible to the centuries-old disease, he said a new manual would be distributed to private hospitals with derma clinics to help educate educators and school caregivers about the disease.
PLM executive director Norand Pepito commended the PDS, saying its credibility and experience can contribute a lot in "fighting the stigma people attach to leprosy." He said an effective antileprosy campaign should be built on three cornerstones: early detection, correct diagnosis, and effective treatment.
Dr. Belen L. Dofitas, who chaired the celebration, lauded dermatologists for doing their part in the battle against leprosy.
Miles Dumalagan
Dementia Group Formed
Physicians of various specializations but commonly imbued with a deep interest in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders have banded together to form the Dementia Society of the Philippines.
In a recent organizational meeting, the group elected its first set of officers. They are doctors Simeon M. Marasigan, president; Miguel Ramos, vice president; Antonio Ligsay, secretary; Venus Serra-Arain, treasurer; Ivanhoe Escartin, public relations officer; and Emmanuel Gatchalian Sr., Pureza Oņate, Jacqueline Dominguez, and Mary Anne Santos, directors.
The society has a three-pronged mission-to understand dementia, educate the public, and conduct research.
It said that understanding dementia does not just mean studying the phenomenology, etiology, pathology, and prognosis of dementing disorders but also knowing the burden of dementia with special consideration for the needs and rights of people with the disease.
It seeks to break down the barriers to treatment through awareness campaigns on the increasing incidence of AD and related disorders, their socioeconomic impact, the availability of treatment and support groups, and ways of maintain family relations for people affected by the disease.
The society will also promote cooperative, multicenter research among its members, formulate and validate appropriate neuropsychological tests for early detection of dementia, perform clinical trials on antidementia drugs and track down the onset and course of dementia among Filipino patients.
The society held its first bimonthly scientific meeting on "citicoline and cognitive improvement in elderly with dementia of cerebrovascular etiology" in cooperation with Natrapharm-Patriot.
It will hold the First Philippine Congress in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders on September 25 to 26.
Ultrasound Is New Generation Stethoscope
Ultrasound has become an indispensable instrument of diagnosis that it may be considered "the new generation stethoscope."
Physicians who attended the first annual convention of the Philippine Society of Ultrasound in Clinical Medicine (PSUCMI) at the Philippine Children's Medical Center last February held this view after hearing and discussing the various applications of ultrasound.
"Most medical institutes, even small hospitals and private clinics, need to have ultrasound machine for physicians and technologists to scan, make a proper diagnosis, or confirm diseases," said Dr. Kittipong Vairojanavong, president of the Asian Federation for Societies of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (AFSUMB), who spoke about the status of ultrasound use in Asia.
Because of this, he said most Asian countries now also provide ultrasound training to medical students. Panelists in the discussion on ultrasound as the new generation stethoscope also agreed that basic training in ultrasound use should start in medical school, followed by hands-on training during residency and post-residency.
From the time ultrasound was first used for diagnosis in the 1940s, its applications have widely expanded to include, among other fields, OB-gynecology, neurology, cardiology, oncology, surgery, and pediatrics.
Among the more recent developments in the technology involve the use of doppler, 3D and 4D, and breast ultrasound.
Doppler ultrasound is a noninvasive method of studying the flow velocity within blood vessels. It can be used to observer the development of fetal and maternal placental circulation; identify functional changes in the fetal heart, arterial, and venous flow when the fetus becomes ill; and discriminate a benign lesion from a malignant lesion.
3D ultrasound can obtain 3D volume images not available through conventional sonography. It allows a physician to "see" the fetus and detect congenital anomalies more accurately. It may also be used for volume estimation and evaluation of pathology by arbitrary plane viewing, accurate identification of location of pathologic lesion needing surgical intervention, and assessment of tumor invasion.
4D ultrasound is a live 3D that enhances maternal-fetal bonding.
Breast ultrasound complements mammography and is used for interventional procedures like fine needle aspiration.
Other issues discussed covered hydrocephalus, cerebral hemodynamics, cardiac evaluation of hydropic fetus, and ultrasound use in trauma patients. Simultaneous sessions in cardiology featured normal fetal echo, fetal arrhythmia, doppler applications in fetus, common congenital heart disease diagnosed in utero. In pediatrics, discussion focused on ultrasound assessment of abdominal pain, vomiting, and abdominal mass in children. the session on neurology ultrasound included topics on CNS infections, brain injury, congenital malformation, carotid doppler and interventional neurosonology.
Established in 1998, PSUCMI is an affiliate of the AFSUMB and World Federation of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB). It aims to promote the proper use of ultrasound in clinical medicine and to advance the art and science of ultrasound in medicine and research.
Dr. Corazon Yabes-Almirante, PSUCMI president, said the society hopes that "our friends in the health care sector and our patients would recognize the potentials and power of this group in providing quick, accurate, and reliable diagnosis and in disseminating knowledge and skills, thus improving health care in the Philippines."
The officers of PSUCMI are doctors Almirante, president; Jose Robles, vice president; Amaryllis Digna Yazon, secretary; Sol Pangan, treasurer; and Edward Padilla, public relations officer. The board of directors is composed of doctors Lilian Lee, Herminia Cifra, Jonas del Rosario, Carina Quimbo, Cesar Tongo, Ramon de Vera, Robert Gan, Edgardo Ortiz, Marissa Lukban, and Ricardo Quintos.
Miles Dumalagan
PSEM Takes Up Evidence-based Endocrinology
Evidence-based endocrinology was the focus of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism's annual convention held March 24 to 25 to address concerns on distinguishing the right evidence for application in practice.
The conference featured five plenary lectures, several research and poster presentations, exhibits, and satellite symposiums all dealing with evidence-based endocrinology.
"With this conference we hope we can help endocrinologists sort out the evidence for diagnosis and further increase research in the field," said Dr. Roberto Mirasol, PSEM vice president and chair of the scientific committee.
Dr. Antonio Dans of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) kicked off the plenary lectures with his presentation on the "Impact of Clinical Trials in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus." He discussed trial-event interpretations, reducing medical costs for patients with complicated health problems, and ways of access information on credible on-line databases.
Dr. Peter Bennet of Arizona, meanwhile, traced the genetic cause of type 2 diabetes to chromosome iq22, PPAR gamma gene variation, and PPPIR3 in chromosome 7q21, which had been shown to interact with the PPAR gamma gene. He said the early identification of the genes that predispose people to type 2 diabetes could make early prevention possible.
Nutritionist Sanirose Orbeta tackled nonpharmocologic treatment of obesity, zeroing in on lifestyle modification and monitoring of calorie intake. Physical activity, she stressed, should be an integral part of weight management. Combined with low-calorie diet, it contributes to weight loss among the overweight and obese and increases cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. Since strenuous exercise may not be fit for everyone, she said simple integral physical activities such as walking and taking the stairs instead of the lift are also recommended.
To dramatize the impact of diet, she showed contrasting pictures of high-calorie foods and the alternatives to them. A regular 360-calorie serving of French fries, for example, is equivalent to four big corncobs. One cup of rice is equal to one big cauliflower head in terms of calories. One croissant (650 calories) is equivalent to four fat-free cheese, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches. One small chicken nugget (80 calories) is equal to one and half cups of vegetable mongo soup.
Dr. Cynthia Manabat of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center analyzed the impact of recent clinical trials on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), notably the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study Follow-up (HERS II). Using these studies, she cited the effects of HRT on menopausal symptoms; fracture risk; risk for breast, colon, endometrial cancer; gallbladder disease, cardiovascular disease risk, and cognitive dysfunction.
Dr. Maria Stephanie Fay Cagayan of UP-Manila reviewed the evidence on phytoestrogens, a large family of plant-derived molecules possessing various degrees of estrogen-like activity. She presented several results, some of which were conflicting, of studies using phytoestrogens as therapy for various aspects of post-menopausal health.
Evidence-based management of Graves's disease and Graves's ophthalmopathy was taken up by Dr. Elizabeth Paz-Pacheco, PSEM president. She reviewed studies on drugs for Graves's disease, among them beta-blockers (that can be used as a single dose). She also focused on three therapies to decrease thyroid hormone levels using thionamide, radioiodine ablation, and surgery.
The other PSEM officers are doctors Rosa Alllyn G. Sy, secretary; Josephine Carlos-Raboca, treasurer; Laura Trajano-Acampado, Ma. Patricia B. Gatbonton, Leilani Mercado-Asis, Gabriel Jasul, directors, and Cynthia Manabat, immediate past president.
Nicole Tigno
PNA Addresses Exodus of Filipino Nurses
By the year 2010, the estimated global demand for professional caregivers would number around one million. The Philippines is quick to respond to the demand, easily becoming the number one supplier of nurses worldwide.
Conscious of the increasing number of Filipino nurses going out of the country to work abroad the trend's myriad implications on Philippine society and economy, the Philippine Nurses Association held a three-day conference on Nurses' Mobility: A Global Congress March 26 to 28 at the Manila Midtown Hotel.
Needless to say, nursing jobs overseas are much more appealing compared with local opportunities. Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan of the University of the Philippines-Manila noted that "the Philippines will never be able to compete with the salary scales of nurses in advanced countries. The basic monthly pay there is US$3,000 to US$4,000 a month compared to the US$150 to US$250 that nurses receive in the Philippines." On top of that, nurses in the Philippines receive meager to modest benefits, an underlying feeling that "nurses are not recognized as equal partners by other medical professionals or hospital officers," lamented PNA president Ruth R. Padilla. The appeal is so great that as Tan observed, "Filipino doctors are going through a reversal of health human resource development by becoming nurses," or what are called "second coursers."
The exodus of skilled Filipino nurses has created a large vacuum in the local health-care system, where crucial positions are being filled up by inexperienced nurses and professionals from other fields of expertise. Tan laments that "clearly, the trend is here to stay. Sadly, this is no longer brain drain but more appropriately brain hemorrhage."
A study by Irma C. Bustamante, consultant at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Graduate School, found that the general sentiment of nurses is that they would rather not leave the country if they were only receiving better compensation. They are not demanding the same level of pay and benefits offered by developed countries, only an improvement of the current situation.
And this is what's happening at the UST Hospital. Alita R. Conde, the hospital's nursing service director, may have lighted a small candle of hope for Filipino nurses. She talked about the major reorganization and restructuring that the UST Hospital System has undergone. Among its major points: improvement of work conditions, equality with other medical professionals, focus on individual growth and development, rewards and recognition to exceptional nurses, and improvement of existing compensation.
Lily Ann R. Baldago, regional director of the Professional Regulation Commission in Iloilo, voiced a growing concern about a decline in the quality of nursing education and training. She noted that in the 2002 licensure examinations, 61 percent of the country's 223 nursing schools in posted lower than 50-percent passing rate while 39 others or 18 percent passed not a single student at all.
George Aranjuez
NDAP Eyes Networking for Better Nutrition
The task of promoting good nutrition among people need not be limited to nutritionists and dieticians but must be expanded to other key players in the health- care system. With this goal in mind, the Nutririonist-Dieticians Association of the Philippines (NDAP) chose Nutrition Networking: Key to Expanding Nutrition as theme for its 48th annual convention February 26 to 28 at the Manila Hotel.
Opening the convention, NDAP president Dr. Demetria C. Bongga said complementary and collaborative effort is the order of the day because "nutritionists and dieticians work under circumstances in which resources are not only finite but scarce."
In a subsequent closing lecture, Bongga stressed the importance of research networking and teaching. She said research networking provides a high opportunity for a wider exchange of ideas and access to additional resources and facilities. Involvement of professionals from allied or related disciplines broadens one's perspective of the problem and enriches one's problem-solving experience. She said that new technology offers alternate modes of learning and hopefully more effective communication.
One of the highlights of the convention was the Clara Ruth Darby Lecture presented by Prof. Sofia V. Amarra of the Philippine Women's University.
Clara Ruth Darby was one of the pioneers in food and nutrition at the University of the Philippines and was largely responsible for the professionalization of dietetics in the Philippines. NDAP established the lecture series in her honor before she died in 1966.
Amarra provided updates on iodine deficiency disorder, which is now a persisting problem among children and women in the Philippines. She noted that iodine deficiency during pregnancy impacts most on the brain development of the fetus. The most severe physical manifestation of deficiency in both mother and child is endemic cretinism, which may be neurologic or myxedematous. Neurologic cretinism is characterized by mental deficiency, deaf-mutism, goiter, and spastic rigid motor disorder. Myxedematous, on the other hand, is characterized by severe hypothyroidism and dwarfism. Mental ability is also deficient but superior to that of neurologic cretins.
Ellen E. Villate, country director of Helen Keller International, cited the importance of local and global networking among health organizations to help address the malnutrition problem. Noting that malnutrition accounts for more than 50 percent of childhood deaths and sickness worldwide, she said its causes at the family level include inadequate access to food, poor maternal and child care practices, and lack of water and sanitation and health services.
NDAP's officers are Dr. Bongga, president; Estelita Ocampo, vice president; Felicidad Velandria, secretary; Adoracion Mondala, assistant secretary; Elenita de Guzman, treasurer, Anna Dugang, assistant treasurer; Ma. Imelda Cardino, public relations officer; and Luisa Asprec, Catherine Castaneda, Ma. Socorro Ignacio, Luzviminda Mandoza, Marilou S. Perez, Eleanor Ruiz, Joan Mary Sumpio, Elizabeth Toledo, Ma. Lourdes Vega, Ellen Villate, Julita Magbayad, Bernadita Sinfuego, and Lina Salon, directors.
The convention also marked NDAP's 48th anniversary. Founded on February 25, 1955 as Dietetic Association of the Philippines, the association was renamed NDAP in 1978. Among its major accomplishment was the professionalization of the practice of dietetics through the passage of RA 2472 (Act to Regulate the Practice of Dietetics) in 1960. This was later superseded by Presidential Decree 1286 "to meet the needs of promoting the nutritional well-being of individuals within the framework of community life."
Jacqueline San Pedro
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