The DOH-Center for Health Development in Metro Manila launched the first-ever Smoke-free Reporting Package to provide venue for the general public to report tobacco violations in Metro Manila. 

The Smoke-free Reporting Package consists of NOSI SMS, NOSI Report Line and NOSI Website. Using the NOSI SMS package, the general public can send in their reports by texting NOSI to 2256 which is open to Smart, Globe and Sun cellular Networks subscribers. The public can also report their complaints by dialling 661-3747 from 9:00am-5:00pm from Mondays to Fridays, or by visiting http://www.nosi.com.ph.

Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona visited the accounting and budget office of the Department of Health right after the flag ceremony in order to personally meet the employees and oversee their job. Ona also visited the Jose R.  Reyes Memorial Medical Center to assess the different services provided by the hospital. The health chief stressed that every hospital should provide the best care and practice hygiene to prevent hospital-acquired infection among patients, including out-patients who seek consultation. Also in photo (from left to right) are Assistant Secretary Gerardo Bayugo, Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan, Undersecretary David Lozada, and Executive Assistant Ms. Blessy Gutierrez.

The Department of Health sent a team from the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) to Digos City, Davao del Sur to validate the 253 dengue cases with 10 deaths reported in the media last July 8. The news report also said that Digos City Mayor Joseph Peñas declared a state of calamity. Barangay Tres de Mayo had the most (23%) cases.
 
The team coordinated with the regional office of the DOH (CHD – Davao Region) and the local government of Digos City, including its City Health Office (CHO) that reported the cases.
 
The team also started to review the hospital records of patients, validate data from the CHO, the Provincial Health Office (PHO), Regional Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit, and the Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance & Response, and conduct an entomological survey in the five identified barangays with the highest number of cases and an ocular survey of areas with cases. Blood samples were drawn from those cases admitted in the different private and government hospitals.

Press Release/13 July 2010

The Department of Health(DOH) today revealed that a total of 3,077 vehicular accident-related injuries were reported for the first quarter of 2010 by its National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS).

The NEISS report said that there were 9,521 injury cases reported in 77 government and private hospitals. Injuries often (24.9%) occurred between 4:00PM and 7:59PM. The leading external causes of  injuries were vehicular accidents (32.32%), mauling (18.45%), sharp objects (11.87%), falls (11.71%), bites/stings (5.46%), and burns (1.26%).

According to the report, the most common injuries were open wound/lacerations (40.1%), abrasion (35.3%), and contusion (17%). More than half (55%) of the total reported injury cases belonged to the 15-44 years age group. Children less than 5 years old and the elderly aged 65 years and above accounted for 7% and 3%, respectively.

Former National Kidney & Transplant Institute Chief Dr. Enrique Ona formally took the reins as Health Secretary from outgoing Dr Esperanza I. Cabral in a simple turn-over ceremony held at the DOH Convention Hall, July 5, 2010. During the turnover rites, Ona was warmly met by Department of Health colleagues and urged everyone to rally behind the Aquino administration for effective and efficient healthcare service delivery.

Dr. Enrique T. Ona today assumes his new post as Department of Health Secretary. Sec. Ona solicited the support of all his DOH family to work towards the marching order of President Benigno Aquino III for universal Philhealth coverage in three years. Sec. Ona was the former Executive Director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute since 1998 and President of the Transplantation Society of the Philippines.

Press Release/ 29 June 2010

The Philippine Pharmacists Association (PPhA), the accredited national organization of pharmacists in the Philippines, expressed its support for the Department of Health’s (DOH) issuance of Administrative Order (A.O.) No. 2010-0008, which will require herbal food and dietary supplements manufacturers to translate the cautionary statement “No Approved Therapeutic Claims” into Filipino in all their advertising and promotional materials.

The English phrase will be replaced by the statement, “Mahalagang Paalala: Ang (name of product) ay hindi gamot at hindi dapat gamiting panggamot sa anumang uri ng sakit”.

“We believe that the move to modify and translate said phrase is appropriate for the reason that food/dietary supplements are really not supposed to be used for treatment or cure, simply because they are NOT DRUGS.”, the PPhA said in its statement.

“The current use of the statement No Approved Therapeutic Claims used in promotion and advertisement of food supplements is not easily understood by the general public who have limited knowledge of the specific differences between drugs and food supplements, and as such has been used to the advantage of some business entities for marketing purposes.”, the statement added.