Category: Medical

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has formally lifted the state of public health emergency declared due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Malacañang announced on Saturday. Marcos on Friday issued Proclamation 297, lifting the nationwide declaration of a public health emergency due to Covid-19, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement. ‘All prior orders, memoranda, and issuances that are effective only during the State of Public Health Emergency shall be deemed withdrawn, revoked or canceled and shall no longer be in effect,’ according to the proclamation. Under Proclamation 297, all government agencies are enjoined to ensure that their policies, rules, and regulations will take into consideration the lifting of the state of public health emergency. Government agencies are also instructed to amend existing or promulgate new issuances, as may be appropriate. Garafil said all emergency use authorization (EUA) issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Executive Order (EO) 121 issued in 2020 would remain valid for one year from the date of issuance of Proclamation 297 ‘for the sole purposes of exhausting the remaining vaccines.’ EO 131 authorizes the FDA to issue EUAs for Covid-19 vaccines, which shall be valid only within the duration of the declared public health emergency. ‘The proclamation also states that although Covid-19 remains to be a serious concern for certain subpopulation and requires continued public health response, the country has maintained sufficient health care system capacity and low hospital bed utilization rates even after the liberalization of Covid-19 health protocols,’ Garafil said. Former president Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation 922 on March 8, 2020, declaring a state of public health emergency after the first Covid-19 transmission reported by the Department of Health (DOH). On May 4 this year, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) noted the decreasing trend in Covid-related deaths, the decline in hospitalizations and intensive care unit admission, and the high levels of population immunity to SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on May 5 concurred with the committee’s advice and determined that Covid-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. Ghebreyesus advised the transition to long-term management of the Covid-19 pandemic. In May, Marcos said the country is already ‘on normal footing” after the WHO lifted the global state of public health emergency. The DOH continues to administer free vaccines against Covid-19 and has recently started giving out bivalent doses, effective for the original strain and the Delta variant, for health workers and senior citizens.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Ako Bicol Partly-list Rep. Elizaldy Co on Wednesday vowed to support the plans of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to transform the healthcare system in the Philippines. Co, also the House Committee on Appropriations Chair, said he would be part of the “collective effort” to secure the necessary funding for the revitalization of crucial healthcare facilities across the country. He said, the ‘legacy projects initiated by the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. have remained stagnant for far too long, with minimal development over the years.’ ‘I fully support President Bongbong Marcos’ commitment to continue and enhance these projects, as they hold tremendous potential to improve healthcare services for our people,’ he said. President Marcos, in his speech last Monday during the inspection of the site where the Clark Multi-Specialty Medical Center (CMSMC) will be built in Pampanga, said his administration is “determined” to bring quality healthcare services by establishing primary healthcare facilities and specialty centers nationwide. He said his administration’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) aims to widen access to quality healthcare services, especially to those from underserved communities. Relatively, Co noted that through the efforts of House Speaker Martin Romualdez and the House of Representatives, substantial budget allocations have been appropriated to facilitate the much-needed improvements for the existing “legacy projects”. He said an initial appropriation of PHP500 million has been secured for each specialty hospital through the collaborative efforts of Congress. The funds, he said, will be used for the improvement of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and the West Visayas State University Medical Center, as well as the establishment of the Philippine Cancer Center, which will be a legacy project of the current administration. “President Marcos Jr. envisions emulating the approach taken by President Marcos Sr. in Metro Manila and replicating it across the entire Philippines, ensuring that government hospitals in every region provide equal access to medical care. Regardless of one’s economic status, every Filipino will witness their taxes working for their well-being,” he said. Co said the collaborative efforts between the Executive and Legislative branches would help bring about a “transformative era in Philippine healthcare”, which would bridge the healthcare gap and provide equitable healthcare access. “As Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the necessary funding and resources are allocated to support President Bongbong Marcos’ vision. Together with the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, we will strive to build a healthcare system that provides equitable access to high-quality medical services for every Filipino,’ he said. Co also highlighted the significance of government-backed hospitals, which could be established in various regions without the primary concern of generating revenue. “This allows us to focus on delivering excellent medical care to our people, irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds,” he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

KPJ Healthcare Bhd, through its philanthropic arm, Klinik Waqaf An-Nur (KWAN), has launched its ninth dialysis centre in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, in collaboration with the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council (MAINS).

In a statement, KPJ Healthcare Officer-in-Charge Norhaizam Mohammad said KPJ Healthcare is grateful to MAINS for supporting its efforts as they are always proactively engaging the community to drive awareness of good health and healthy living, as everyone is entitled to quality healthcare.

Officiated by MAINS secretary Zainal Said, the dialysis centre was originally a Klinik Waqaf An-Nur before it was upgraded into the Waqaf An-Nur MAINS Dialysis Centre and began its operations on June 12, operated by KPJ Seremban Specialist Hospital in collaboration with MAINS and Waqaf An-Nur Corporation Bhd (Waqaf An-Nur).

The centre is equipped with five dialysis machines and offers services similar to other KWAN clinics nationwide, including health screening, treatment, and consultation. It is also the second centre to be opened in Negeri Sembilan in collaboration with MAINS.

The dialysis machines are progressively using single-use dialyser filters to remove excess fluid from patient’s blood instead of using recyclable filters to avoid infections and possible complications.

“From 1998 to May 2023, close to two million patients have been given treatment at KWAN clinics nationwide, and another 30,013 patients were seen via its mobile clinics from 2015 to May 2023.

“We believe our efforts in bridging access to quality care complements our focus in putting people first, recognising and valuing their unique journey and personal well-being above all else,” she said.

Meanwhile, MAINS has been instrumental in meeting the needs of the community throughout Negeri Sembilan, with constant engagements and various programmes targeted at the needy and the underprivileged.

KWAN, established by Johor Corporation (JCorp) through Waqaf An-Nur in 1998 and handed over to KPJ Healthcare on April 1, 2011, for its operation and management, is supported fully by specialist hospitals under the KPJ Healthcare network.

As of 2023, a total of nine mobile clinics have been deployed to rural areas across Malaysia. Its mobile clinics are designed to be able to perform basic healthcare services in remote areas.

KWAN’s static clinics and eight dialysis centres, three of which are Malaysian Society for Quality in Health certified, are scattered throughout Malaysia to help underprivileged patients in getting quality healthcare from medical professionals.

Located in Johor, Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kelantan, and Negeri Sembilan, patients are able to receive treatment from as low as RM10 per visit, and RM130 for dialysis treatment.

“We are also targeting to expand our mobile clinics reach by deploying even more mobile clinics in other areas in Malaysia. Towards the end of this year, we are planning to deploy two more mobile clinics, one in Pahang and another in Sabah, to expand our reach and further help the community,” said Norhaizam.

To date, about 350 dialysis patients have benefitted from KWAN’s services.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The Department of Health (DOH) has released guidelines to healthcare facilities nationwide on how to manage water shortage due to the El Niño phenomenon. DOH Undersecretary Eric Tayag noted that water supply is important in healthcare facilities as they conduct life-saving services like surgeries. ‘Ongoing na po ‘yung assessment, tinatanggap na namin ‘yung mga report nila sapagkat iko-consolidate namin ‘yung mga pangangailangan nila (The assessment is ongoing, we have accepted their reports because we will consolidate their needs),” he said in a press briefing Monday. Earlier, the DOH reminded all healthcare facilities nationwide to have a business continuity plan to provide the public with early warning against the harmful effects of El Niño. ‘Sila ay isa ba sa mga rarasyunan ng tubig? Sila ba ay maglilipat ng pasyente? Kung gagawin po ‘yan, sila ay dapat may malinaw na ugnayan (Do they water ration? Are they going to transfer patients? If these will be done, there must be clear coordination),’ he said. The DOH is urging the public to take care to avoid the emergence and resurgence of diseases due to El Niño. He recounted dengue cases surged in 1998 due to El Niño and people had problems receiving health services due to water shortage in most hospitals. ”Yung diarrhea, ang tustos na binibigay natin diyan ay ang oral rehydration salt solution, paano mo iha-hydrate yung pasyenteng nawawalan ng tubig at electrolytes eh wala naman tayong pamalit doon (Diarrhea, for example, oral rehydration salt solution is the remedy for that, how are you going to hydrate a patient who has water and electrolytes deficiency if you don’t have a replacement for them),’ he said. Apart from preparation for El Niño-related health issues, the DOH has also lined up health promotion activities in celebration of National Disaster Resilience Month this July

Source: Philippines News Agency

All local government units (LGUs) must prioritize the procurement of public automated external defibrillator (AED), urged Philippine Heart Association (PHA) incoming Central Luzon Chapter president Dr. Rayzen Lim. An AED is a portable, life-saving device which, when used along with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), increases the survival rate of a cardiac arrest patient by 30 percent. In a media interview during the induction of new PHA-Central Luzon officers here over the weekend, Lim said LGUs, through an ordinance, could also require all establishments to have their own AEDs. LGUs could also start their local registry on hypertension, diabetes and other kinds of diseases leading to heart problems to easily monitor the patients and reduce the mortality rate, she added. The PHA is open to partnering with the government and private companies in their CPR training, Lim said. Members of the PHA have been pushing for the enactment of the Automated External Defibrillator bill seeking public deployment of AEDs to step up emergency response to cardiac arrest emergencies. PHA national president Dr. Ronald Cuyco said the bill will enable the community to save a cardiac arrest patient by using the AED gadget. He said that once the bill is signed into law, AED deployment in strategic places for public access would be mandatory. ‘We are calling on the lawmakers to pass the AED bill as we are keen on giving the CPR-ReadyPh 2023 a major push,’ Cuyco said. Between 2016 and 2022, lawmakers have filed similar versions of the AED bill. In 2022, Senator Lito Lapid filed Senate Bill No. 2474 seeking the placement of AEDs in public spaces like government buildings, offices, courts, schools, public parks and markets. An AED is easy to use and can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if needed, deliver an electrical shock or defibrillation to help the heart reestablish an effective rhythm. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the sudden loss of all heart activities due to an irregular heart rhythm. Breathing stops. The person becomes unconscious. Without immediate treatment, SCA can lead to death. Emergency treatment includes CPR and shocks to the heart with an AED device. Survival is possible with fast (within four to six minutes) appropriate CPR and/or use of an AED and medical care

Source: Philippines News Agency

The country’s positivity rate, or the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), has decreased to 6.4 percent as of July 7, from 7.2 percent as of June 30. “The Department of Health (DOH) reported 397 new cases, zero deaths, 531 recoveries. About 65 of the new cases are from the National Capital Region (NCR), projecting 300 to 400 new cases the next day (July 8),” OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David said over Twitter on Friday. To date, the country’s overall tally of Covid-19 infections has reached 4,167,259 with 6,637 active cases. The total number of Covid-19 deaths stands at 66,484. The DOH’s latest bio-surveillance report showed 1,468 samples were sequenced on June 26-29 by the Philippine Genome Center. It disclosed that 85 percent of cases were XBB types. “The most dominant was XBB 1.9.1 at 25 percent but XBB 2.3 or Acrux increased to 22 percent while XBB 1.16 or Arcturus was at 15 percent,” David said. “Moreover, 227 of the cases were from the NCR and 78 percent of them were XBB types. The most dominant was XBB 2.3 or Acrux at 33 percent.”

Source: Philippines News Agency

The country’s daily average of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases decreased by 20 percent from June 25 to July 2, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday. In its latest case bulletin, the agency recorded 392 daily infections, a decline of 100 cases from the 492 recorded between June 19 to 25. A total of 2,747 new cases were recorded in the recent week. However, the tally of severe and critical infections increased to 442 from the previous week’s 325. Two deaths were verified during the past week, but they did not occur between June 19 to July 2. Only 13.7 percent or 273 out of the 1,998 intensive care unit (ICU) beds are in use, while 17.7 percent or 3,010 of 17,026 non-ICU beds are utilized. At least 78,443,972 or 100.4 percent of the country’s target population (78,100,578) have been vaccinated against Covid-19, including 82.16 percent of 8,721,357 senior citizens, as of March 19. A total of 23,811,248 have received booster shots out of the fully vaccinated population. To date, the country has logged 4,165,499 million coronavirus cases with 66,484 deaths since January 2020.

Source: Philippines News Agency