Category: Medical

The Department of Health on Thursday said the number of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases nationwide is plateauing in the past four weeks. ‘As of Oct. 23, 2023, Covid-19 cases at the national level are plateauing and have not observed marked increases or decreases in reported cases,’ the DOH told the Philippine News Agency. ‘The national seven-day moving average per week over the past four weeks has ranged from 164 to 187 cases.’ The DOH Covid-19 tracker’s latest data show that 152 new infections were logged on Oct. 25, bringing the total tally of cases to 4,119,152 with 2,912 active cases. The number of recovered cases has reached 4,049,506 while the death toll has hit 66,734. As of Oct. 25, the top regions with the most number of cases are the National Capital Region (1,318,992); Calabarzon (735,178); Central Luzon (406,343); Western Visayas (222,624); and Central Visayas (211,246). The top cities or provinces with the most number of cases include Quezon City (277,593); Cavite (244,743), Laguna (182,812), City of Manila (164,940); and Rizal (160,697). ‘The DOH still recommends the public to continue adhering to our layers of protection such as wearing face masks, isolating when sick, and ensuring good airflow. These layers of protection are also effective not only against Covid-19 but also from other infectious diseases,’ the agency said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Officials in the island town of Madridejos in northern Cebu on Tuesday warned their fishermen about the red tide contamination in the municipal waters. Mayor Romeo Villaceran, in a statement posted on the municipality’s official social media page, warned fishermen against collecting seashells such as oysters (talaba), scallops (kabibi), cockles (litob), mussels (tahong), clams (halaan), and “alamang” (krill). The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) confirmed on its Oct. 21 advisory about the presence of red tide in the seawater of Madridejos. Villaceran said their constituents are warned not to harvest and consume shellfish in the meantime that the BFAR’s ban is still in effect, noting that municipal agriculture personnel are conducting regular inspections in the market and coastal areas. ‘We will confiscate banned shellfish and ‘alamang’ if our Municipal Agriculture’s Office find them during their inspections,’ he said. Shellfish infected with red tide may cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) that results in paralysis, headaches, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, weakness, and even death.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos on Friday urged local government units (LGUs) to prioritize maternal and child health, and nutrition programs in their localities in support of the implementation of Republic Act No. 11148, or the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act.”

In a statement, Abalos said LGUs play a key role in the whole-of-government approach to combat malnutrition among adolescent females, pregnant and lactating women, infants and young children, and reduce maternal mortality and stunting in children.

“The right to health is a fundamental principle guaranteed by the State, and malnutrition continues to threaten this right disrupting the very future of our own children. Kaya naman napaka-importante na magsagawa ng mga hakbang ang mga LGUs para pangalagaan ang kalusugan ng mag-ina – mula sa sinapupunan hanggang sa unang 1,000 araw ng paglaki ng bata (That is why it is very important for LGUs to take steps to protect the health of mothers and daughters – from the womb to the first 1,000 days of a child’s growth),’ he said.

‘I feel so strongly about this as I have advocated the same since my time as a local chief executive in Mandaluyong City. The movement against malnutrition and the welfare of pregnant and lactating women can start for all LGUs, too. Kumilos tayo laban sa malnutrisyon ng mga buntis, sanggol at mga bata (Let’s take action against malnutrition in pregnant women, infants and children),’ he said.

To fully support RA 11148, Abalos issued DILG Memorandum Circular 2023-149 last Oct. 12, directing LGUs to integrate programs on nutrition for adolescent females, pregnant and lactating women, infants and young children in their investment plans for health, prioritizing those who are nutritionally at risk.

Some primary services required by the program include pregnancy tracking and regular counseling for pregnant women, breastfeeding plans and resources for postpartum and lactating women, newborn screening and vaccination for newborn babies and nutrition counseling for children up to two years of age.

Apart from LGUs, Abalos said the whole-of-government approach and delivery of services and interventions must include the participation of national government agencies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.

He said the law shall be implemented through rural health units and barangay health centers, in coordination with the Sangguniang Barangay, barangay nutrition scholars and barangay health workers, to include health and nutrition intervention services at different life stages.

During his term as Mandaluyong City mayor, the Nutrition Honor Award, which was the highest accolade conferred by the National Nutrition Council to an LGU, was conferred to the city for three consecutive years.

Abalos was also cited for his Millenium Baby Project which provided care for women and their babies, and the creation of the Breastfeeding Patrol, a group of breastfeeding mothers who can be called upon during emergencies to breast-feed hungry babies.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Department of Health in the Cordillera Administrative Region is urging people afflicted with tuberculosis (TB) to avail of free treatment services and for their contacts to be tested for the disease. “We want to extend services to the public who needs or wants to be tested, especially those who need to undergo treatment. They have nothing to worry about payments. They just need to come forward,’ Dr. Jennifer Joyce Pira, medical officer IV of the DOH-CAR, said in a briefing here Wednesday. Statistics provided during the briefing show that from 2019 until the first semester of the year, 12,537 cases were recorded in the region, with 11,389 cured after completing the treatment. However, 464 of the patients died because of the disease, 39 failed to complete the treatment while the remaining 645 did not return for follow-up check-ups. Pira said rural health units in the region have tuberculosis directly observed therapy short course (TB-DOTS) clinics that provide free services like x-ray and confirmatory tests. She said that if a person has been confirmed to be positive for TB, he will be placed under a six-month treatment which should be heeded without any break. “The services and medicines are given free. The DOH purchases medicines and supplies and these are released to the TB DOTS clinics nationwide,” she added. Pira said the stigma of being identified as TB patient is a thing of the past since there are ways to prevent transmission if suspected patients would only have themselves tested. Among the symptoms of the disease are prolonged cough with some patients sometimes coughing out blood, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever and night sweats. “The only way to protect our loved ones from being infected is by knowing that we do not have it. But if we do, we can implement safety measures and possibly have our loved ones be tested also and undergo treatment if they are infected,” she said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

JOHOR BAHRU, MyCARE, which is closely monitoring and following developments regarding the opening of the Rafah border crossing in Egypt, is ready to send a medical team to the Gaza Strip, should the crossing be opened.

MyCARE Board of Trustees member Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Zin Kandar said this was in line with the request of Dr Ashraf Alqudra, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, recently.

“He requested the dispatch of medical specialists to treat and carry out surgeries on the victims of the attacks of the Zionist regime as well as medical supplies.

“However, cooperation from the Malaysian government and the Ministry of Health will also facilitate the matter.

“Right now it has not been opened, we are urging for it to be opened immediately and we will try to participate in aid missions including critical medical aid,” he told Bernama when contacted today.

Mohd Zin said the Rafah crossing is the only gateway for Palestinians in Gaza to the outside world.

The delivery of aid from the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), especially from Malaysia, will have to go through Rafah crossing before entering Gaza, he added.

“With the conflict and the inhumane attacks by the Zionist regime on the people of Gaza, we really hope that the Rafah border crossing can be opened all the time by the Egyptian (authorities).

“It is a legal border crossing between Palestine and Egypt, and it is not appropriate for other countries to try to intervene and decide whether the Rafah crossing should be opened or not,” said Mohd Zin.

He added that the supply crisis in Gaza is expected to worsen, especially with the coming winter season.

“To date, more than 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and almost 500,000 people have lost their homes.

“There are urgent needs for supply of clean water, food, medicine as well as blankets,” he said.

As of last night, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to 2,808, while the number of wounded has also risen to more than 10,000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The National Sports Institute (ISN) has set up the first Women’s Health Clinic at the National Sports Medical Centre (NSMC) as an initiative to address the health issues of female athletes.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the clinic was set up after receiving feedback through a town hall session conducted with the country’s female athletes last August.

“During the town hall session, many female athletes voiced out their opinions that I consider important for us to resolve.

“Some of them said they were in pain every month and there was no female doctor, obstetrician or gynaecologist here to consult them.

“We cannot expect male coaches to give advice to female athletes on this matter because they may not have sufficient knowledge about women’s health issues,” she told reporters after visiting the clinic here today.

With the setting up of the clinic, ISN also appointed a visiting obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Jerilee Azhary and a permanent female doctor, Dr Wan Nadiah Zainab Wan Azman, to handle and provide medical services to the national female athletes.

Among the services provided are consultation, health check-ups, external referrals and women’s health education sessions.

The clinic, which has been operational since Oct 4, operates every Wednesday from 9 am to 1 pm.

In another development, Hannah also congratulated national professional men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia on his win at the 2023 Arctic Open championship in Vantaa, Finland, defeating compatriot, Ng Tze Yong 21-14, 21-15 in the final, last Sunday.

“Congratulations to Lee Zii Jia for being able to bounce back and win a title after a long hiatus,” she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

IPOH, Losing her father to nasal cancer has made Sharole Chee, 34, a cancer survivor herself, more determined to fight against the deadly disease.

“I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in October last year while my father died last June. I was scared initially. My thought then was only of death that I would die because the cancer cells are spreading and growing in the right breast,” she said.

Chee was met at the launch of the breast cancer and diabetes awareness campaign, ‘Fight For Pink Act For Blue’, organised by the Perak Community Specialist Hospital (PCSH) here yesterday.

The woman said prior to her being diagnosed with cancer she had been having shortness of breath and pain in her breast.

There was also redness on the breast and initial examination suspected that it was only due to inflammation, she added.

Chee, of Falim here, said she went for further examination at a private hospital when her condition did not improve and was later diagnosed with breast cancer.

“The doctor told me that cancer has spread and advised me to see a specialist doctor in Kuala Lumpur,” she said, adding that following treatment and surgery, the result of the latest scan found no more cancer cells in her breast.

She advised women diagnosed with breast cancer not to lose hope as there is treatment for it.

Chee, who was the motivational speaker at the programme, also advised the public to take care of their health, by eating healthy and getting enough rest.

Meanwhile, a nursery teacher Nurul Bazilah Bazaruddin, 27, said she was diagnosed with breast cancer last December when she was pregnant with her second child.

A month later, following doctor’s advice, she was forced to deliver her child through a C-section.

“I was only seven months (pregnant) then but had to deliver the baby because the cancer cells were spreading fast.

“I am very grateful that my child is healthy and after the confinement period, underwent chemotherapy treatment, followed by radiotherapy,” she said.

Nurul Bazilah, who lives in Rapat Setia, said she was very depressed while undergoing chemotherapy treatment, especially with severe hair loss, but was able to bounce back with support from her husband.

During the launch of the campaign, PCSH also provided mammograms and Ultrasound tests, as well as for diabetes.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency