Iligan City Hospital (Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital) Slashes 200+ casual workers

What is up with the Philippine's Health Care Delivery System? I know this may sound a bit late, but for all of you out there (abroad) who's worked with the hospital, GTLMH abruptly laid off 200+ casual workers including IWs.

What is wrong with this government, prioritizing countrywide "internet-tability" in a country in which the majority of the population only knows how to operate and execute basic MS Word operations and mainly uses their email addresses (majority of Pinoys use yahoomail) only to log on to friendster (with over 5 million Filipino subscribers) rather than on developing efficient means of delivering health services to the people!

Read: On a personal observation, roughly less than 50% of the Total literate Filipino Population (hence, including politicians) can be actually classified as "internet savvy" individuals.

So...

"While Obama and Clinton are debating on which HealthCare policy will do best for the Americans, the Philippines is debating on whether or not, the ZTE-NBN Deal is legit, at the expense of the vastly poor Filipino population."

How far would this "hoolaa" go. Our government has been allocating a bigger percentage on a National Broadband deal rather than health care, what's up with that? The alleged $130M kickback should provide well enough health benefits to our indigent brothers and sisters.

geeesshh..
Stop the crap now!

Stop! Cut! Kill! Corruption in the Philippines,
NOW!!!

Natalizumab (Tysabri) May Cause Significant Liver Injury

February 27, 2008 — Significant liver injury has been reported in some patients receiving treatment with natalizumab (Tysabri, Biogen Idec, Inc), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today.

The monoclonal antibody was first approved by the FDA in November 2004 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and was later withdrawn by the manufacturer in February 2005 after 3 patients developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) during clinical trials.

After reviewing the study data to confirm the absence of additional PML cases, the reintroduction of natalizumab into the US market was accompanied by a restricted distribution program (Tysabri Outreach: Unified Commitment to Health, or TOUCH).

With the approval of natalizumab for the treatment of Crohn's disease in January 2008, the FDA added warnings to the drug's safety labeling regarding the risk for hepatotoxicity.

Signs of injury, including markedly elevated serum hepatic enzymes and elevated total bilirubin, have been observed as early as 6 days following initiation of natalizumab therapy, according to an alert issued by MedWatch, the FDA's safety information and adverse event reporting program. Other cases have occurred for the first time after multiple doses of the drug and on rechallenge.

The combination of transaminase elevations and elevated bilirubin without evidence of obstruction is an important predictor of severe hepatic injury that can lead to death or require liver transplant.

Treatment should therefore be discontinued if jaundice or other signs of significant hepatic injury occur. Patients should be advised of the risk for liver injury and instructed to call their healthcare professionals if they experience yellowing of the skin/eyes, nausea/vomiting, darkened urine, and feeling tired or weak.

Natalizumab monotherapy is indicated to delay the accumulation of physical disability and reduce the frequency of clinical exacerbations in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; it also may be used to induce and maintain clinical response and remission in adult patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease who have evidence of inflammation. Use of natalizumab is generally reserved for patients who have had inadequate response to or are unable to tolerate conventional therapies.

from: Medscape.

Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

As I've been watching the drama between democrats Clinton and Obama over at Yahoo! Videos,I came across a very (IMO) disturbing News, Extremely Drug-Resistan Strains of Tuberculosis. (see video here)
As I quote from an article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA)

"Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) is a relatively rare type of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). It is resistant to almost all drugs used to treat TB, including the two best first-line drugs: isoniazid and rifampin. XDR TB is also resistant to the best second-line medications: fluoroquinolones and at least one of three injectable drugs (i.e., amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin).

Because XDR TB is resistant to the most powerful first-line and second-line drugs, patients are left with treatment options that are much less effective and often have worse treatment outcomes.

XDR TB is of special concern for persons with HIV infection or other conditions that can weaken the immune system. These persons are more likely to develop TB disease once they are infected, and also have a higher risk of death once they develop TB disease.

The risk of acquiring XDR TB in the United States appears to be relatively low. However, it is important to acknowledge the ease at which TB can spread. As long as XDR TB exists, the United States is at risk and must address the threat."

I was a bit bothered by the issue since, most of the affected countries are in Africa and somewhere around the border of the Soviet Union, which is relatively near Asia and might infiltrate the Philippines, this could add another major problem in our Health System and Services, since most of our public hospitals, upon personal experience lack the necessary protective gears to help prevent contracting the disease.


Disease Focus: Tuberculosis

Philippine Nursing Board Exam Result, December 2007 Exam. (Philippine Nursing Licensure Exam - December 2007)

December 2007 Exam Passers


Nurse Licensure Examination - Retakers As Per C.a. 2008 February 21

Nurse Licensure Examination - Retakers For C.g.f.n 2008 February 21

43% of 67,000 pass Philippine Nursing Board Exam ( Philippine Nursing Licensure Exam) December 2007 Exam

source: Inquirer.net

February 21, 2008 10:19:00

Veronica Uy

INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- At least 43 percent of the 67,000 examinees who took the nursing board in December 2007 have passed, officials of the Professional Regulation Commission told INQUIRER.net.

In a text message to INQUIRER.net Thursday, Marco Antonio Sto. Tomas, member of the PRC's Board of Nursing, said that out of 67,728 examinees, 28,924 passed for a 43.45-percent passing rate.

Leonor Rosero-Tripon, PRC chairman, said that the percentage was “within the usual range.”

Tripon and Sto. Tomas said the examinees included those who took the exam for the first time, repeaters, removals, and voluntary retakers of all subjects from the June 2006 Nursing Licensure Examination.

“Ten out of the 14 retakers as per Court of Appeals decision passed and 729 out of the 1,132 special certification retakers for CGFNS passed,” he said.

PRC records show that the passing rate for the nursing board has not breached 60-percent since June 2003.

The passing rate for the past five years are as follows:

June 2003, 52.77 percent; December 2003, 43.38 percent; June 2004, 55.74 percent; December 2004, 43.06 percent; June 2005, 49.40 percent; December 2005, 53.97 percent; June 2006 (the one with the supposed leakage), 41.23 percent, December 2006, 49.10 percent; June 2007, 48.32 percent; and the latest December 2007, 43.45 percent

A nursing educator, who requested anonymity, lamented the drop in the quality of Philippine nursing education. He said these figures provide a sad contrast to the growing number of colleges producing nursing graduates -- more than 450 such colleges nationwide.

He said the economic contribution of nursing education was “superficial and artificial in the long run.”

“We have few training hospitals, we are in dearth of fully trained nursing deans and faculty-members, both public and private combined, to complement the education needs of all our nursing students enrolled all over the country,” he said.

Sto. Tomas said the top performing schools with 100 or more examinees that passed were Saint Louis University, Xavier University, and Silliman University.

He said those which had from 30 to 99 examinees that passed were Trinity University of Asia, Mindanao State University, University of the East-Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, and Palawan State University.

Bought a New Domain. Www.Bisdak.net

Just wanted to announce that I bought a new domain, Im planning to finish updating the site and everything right after I finish processing my papers for my Visa.. which is, believe me hideous work.

Thanks guys!

Im also planning to host a CMS Site back there..
thanks..

dan