Category: The Medical City

TMC Holds Workshop To Prepare Children for Adoption

PRNEWS Leave a comment

The Medical City Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in partnership with the Consulate of the Republic of San Marino held the first of a series of workshops for children from child-caring agencies to help prepare them for eventual adoption.

The pilot workshop took place on July 10, 2014 at the Museo Pambata in Manila and was facilitated by Dr. Cornelio Banaag Jr., head of the TMC Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, together with Drs. Vanessa Cainghug, Genuina Ranoy, Geraldine Lobo and Mary Daryl Joyce Lindo-Calleja. It was conceptualized by the said doctors together with Dr. Norieta Balderrama and Dr. Evelyn Gapuz. The next workshop will be held this November.

The activities included storytelling, role playing and group discussions with children facilitated by Child and Adolescent psychiatrists of the section.

The Philippines has been struggling with economic difficulties in the region and among the problems connected with poverty is the growing number of neglected and abandoned children who seek refuge in the various child-caring agencies in the country.

With current research studies indicating the possible negative effects of institutionalizing children, and with the goal of matching children with a permanent family and a permanent home, the Department of Social Welfare and Development launched an advocacy campaign to increase awareness of adoption as an enduring answer to the situation of homeless children and homes searching for children.

The heightened awareness in the local adoption process due to the various advocacy campaigns of DSWD, as well as the introduction of the Inter-Country Adoption Act of 1995, greatly contributed in the increase in the number of Filipino children being adopted both locally and internationally. Legal adoptions bestow on the child all the rights and privileges of a child born into a family.

TMC Child and Adolescent psychiatrists believe that children for adoption need to be prepared emotionally since they will experience a transition out of institutionalized or foster care to a permanent family.

The workshop aimed to increase the awareness of the participants on their attitudes about adoption including their fears, anxieties and joy about having a permanent home. The workshop also aimed to develop a more positive outlook in transitioning to a permanent home.

According to Dr. Lindo-Calleja, the adoption process is such a life changing journey for children which warrants emotional and psychological preparation.
“This is an opportunity for child psychiatrists to take an active part in making the children’s journey smoother,” says Dr. Lindo-Calleja.

“The beauty of Child Psychiatry is in helping children early on in their lives and in the process, being able to change the trajectory of the children’s’ lives towards a better direction,” adds Dr. Banaag.

The activity was the pilot community project of the TMC Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Eleven children aged five to twelve who are to be matched for local and inter-country adoption participated in the workshop.

The project is in partnership with the Consulate of the Republic of San Marino which signed an Inter- country adoption agreement with the Philippines in 2011. Two Filipino orphaned and abandoned children have thus been adopted in the European microstate. The Republic of San Marino, the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, has been giving guidance and support for children in the country since 2008.

TMC to Launch A World-Class Surgical Training Center

PRNEWS Leave a comment

Premier health institution The Medical City (TMC) is set to launch a world-class multi-disciplinary training center that will provide surgical expertise and the ideal environment for skills acquisition for physicians, nurses, technicians and medical students.

The Center for Advanced Skills, Simulation and Training Innovation or CASSTI will open its doors this September to practicing clinicians, fellows and residents from TMC as well as from other training institutions, Operating Room (OR) nurses and technicians, and medical students. The Center will also welcome consultants or physicians who desire to strengthen and refine their clinical and surgical skills.

CASSTI is a collaborative initiative among TMC and key industry stakeholders who will be involved on a per course basis. The Center will be headed by Dr. Deogracias Alberto G. Reyes, TMC surgeon and associate professor at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Reyes will be supported by course directors composed of specialists from the Departments of General Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, Breast Surgery, Gynecology, Head and Neck Surgery, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Airway Management, Intensive Care, and Gastroenterology.

“CASSTI was brought about by the need to effect a change in medical and surgical training. The traditional Halsteadian mindset of ‘see one, do one, teach one’ is not ideal as it does not give the trainee the opportunity to achieve mastery before patient contact,” said Dr. Reyes.

Dr. Reyes added that CASSTI was envisioned to address this need for change along with issues of patient safety and quality healthcare and to provide clinical and surgical skills responsive to world developments and standards of care.

While minimal access surgery has become a requisite in general residency training locally, there is a gap that needs to be filled when it comes to this kind of training. In the global scene, simulation training has been integrated into general surgery training programs using inanimate models, animal phantom models, and virtual reality. The main feature of CASSTI is simulation training.

Currently, there is no institutionalized initiative in the country that integrates animate and inanimate simulation and virtual reality into training. Given its track record in minimally-invasive procedures such as robotic-assisted and laparoscopic surgeries, TMC is in the position to uplift the level of medical care through CASSTI.

According to Dr. Reyes, surgical simulation is a mode of training which is promising and may be effective. Technical errors in the simulated environment do not have clinical consequences and do not involve morbidity or mortality.

CASSTI trainings will be carried out in a controlled and safe environment. A procedure can be deconstructed into its critical steps for more structured and purposeful learning. The Center’s simulation environment will guarantee minimization of error thus achieving a greater level of patient safety. Plus, the ability to repeat and train in the skills laboratory makes training pace appropriate, responsive to the individual’s learning aptitudes and schedule limitations.

CASSTI’s facilities include five endoscopic stations, teleconference capability for live surgery transmission to CASSTI and remote locations, animal laboratory, lecture rooms, video editing stations and a research room. The Center will make use of equipment for simulation which includes alternative inanimate simulator box, inanimate simulator box, and virtual reality simulator.

CASSTI will offer short courses that run from two to five days and post-graduate certificate courses that will run from one to three months. Among the short courses to be offered are clinical courses for General Surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology, and Airway Management.

Short Technical Courses include Instrument Reprocessing and Maintenance, Operative Nursing in Laparoscopic Surgery, and Video Editing. Enrollment in these courses is open to local and foreign participants. Plans to offer a certificate course and a Master’s Degree in Minimal Access Surgery are underway.

CASSTI is located at the lower ground of The Medical City in Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City. For the list of courses and other inquiries, you may call 988-1000 or 988-7000 ext. 6801.

TMC Expands Its Cardiac And Vascular Catheterization Laboratory

PRNEWS Leave a comment

(From left) Dr. Olympia Q. Malanyaon, Head, Section of Pediatric Cardiology; Dr. Michelangelo L. Sabas, Interventional Cardiologist; Dr. Gregorio S. Martinez, Jr., Head, Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory and the Cardiovascular Center, and Dr. Donato R. Maraon, Interventional Cardiologist show off the TMC Cath Lab’s state-of-the-art multi-purpose imaging system

The Medical City Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory (TMC Cath Lab) has recently expanded its capabilities. The Cath Lab has acquired its second Artis Zee, a state-of-the-art multi-purpose imaging system. The equipment allows for clearer, more accurate images of the arteries of the heart, brain, internal organs, and limbs. In 2013, the Cath Lab performed more than one thousand coronary procedures, more than any other Cath Lab in a private institution in the country. With the addition of a second imaging system, the TMC Cardiovascular Center hopes to address the treatment of cardiovascular emergencies in a more effective and timely manner. Interventional cardiologists can perform longer vascular procedures without compromising access to an emergency procedure if needed.

“Those who depend on us to take care of their cardiac patients can continue to rely on us for excellent care,” says Dr. Gregorio Martinez, Jr., Head of the Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory and the Cardiovascular Center. Dr. Martinez clarifies that responding to cardiac cases, especially heart attacks, is time sensitive. Delays in treating a heart attack patient impact on the size of the damage to the heart muscle, and ultimately on the patient’s prognosis. Prompt diagnosis and right treatment within the specified time frame is vital.

(From left) Dr. Olympia Q. Malanyaon, Head, Section of Pediatric Cardiology; Dr. Michelangelo L. Sabas, Interventional Cardiologist; Dr. Gregorio S. Martinez, Jr., Head, Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory and the Cardiovascular Center, and Dr. Donato R. Maraon, Interventional Cardiologist show off the TMC Cath Lab’s state-of-the-art multi-purpose imaging system

“The TMC Cardiovascular Center has an Acute Myocardial Infarction Program which targets a 90 minute Door-to-Balloon time. This means that a heart attack patient who walks through the doors of our emergency room should have the blocked coronary artery opened in the Cath Lab within 90 minutes. TMC’s expanded Cath Lab capacity, backed by experienced and highly competent interventional cardiologists and support staff who are trained to handle such complex cases, can assure patients of the best possible and the most timely cardiac care,” explains Dr. Martinez.

“The expansion of TMC Cath lab will raise the bar for cardiac care at The Medical City,” says Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Michelangelo Sabas. “Adding a second Cath Lab system not only provides us with the latest technology but will also allow us to care for more patients and reduce the backlog of patients waiting for diagnostic testing. It enables us to care for multiple urgent care patients at once. We can see more patients with less disruption of patient care with this second Cath Lab system.”

Interventional procedures done in the TMC Cath Lab are minimally invasive treatments where doctors use catheters, introduced through a small skin puncture, to access the heart, the coronary arteries, the arteries to the brain and various organs in order to treat abnormal conditions. Furthermore, the TMC Cath Lab offers state of the art technology for coronary angiography and angioplasty, valvuloplasty, pacemaker implantation, peripheral vascular angiography and angioplasty, embolization procedures, cerebral angiography and coiling of intracerebral aneurysms.

It has enhanced capabilities for Fraction Flow Reserve (FFR), Thrombectomy (AngioJet), and the visualization of implanted stents (CLEARstent). FFR measurements, which are done during the angiogram procedure, help identify lesions that restrict blood flow to the heart and therefore serve as accurate guides on whether a borderline narrowing should be opened up with a stenting procedure. Thrombectomy is a procedure to extract blood clots and therefore restore blood flow to arteries and veins clogged with clots (thrombus), while CLEARstent is a stent visualization enhancement tool that makes possible the placement of stents in complex coronary angioplasty.

The TMC Cath Lab is the leading Cath Lab in the country for coronary angiography and angioplasty via radial artery approach. Angioplasty via the radial artery approach makes use of the wrist artery instead of the groin artery as access. This enables patients to go home the same day after the procedure and resume their normal activities the next day. Approximately nine out of ten coronary procedures in the Cath Lab are done via the wrist artery.

“At the TMC Cath Lab, we have a comprehensive range of cutting-edge equipment that can be utilized for more accurate diagnosis and effective and safer treatment. At The Medical City, we treat each patient not as a ‘case’ but as a unique individual who deserves the best informed medical care. This is why acquiring technology which can give us a clearer, more accurate assessment of each patient’s individual case is paramount,” says Dr. Martinez.

TMC Expands Its Cardiac And Vascular Catheterization Laboratory

PRNEWS Leave a comment

(From left) Dr. Olympia Q. Malanyaon, Head, Section of Pediatric Cardiology; Dr. Michelangelo L. Sabas, Interventional Cardiologist; Dr. Gregorio S. Martinez, Jr., Head, Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory and the Cardiovascular Center, and Dr. Donato R. Maraon, Interventional Cardiologist show off the TMC Cath Lab’s state-of-the-art multi-purpose imaging system

The Medical City Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory (TMC Cath Lab) has recently expanded its capabilities. The Cath Lab has acquired its second Artis Zee, a state-of-the-art multi-purpose imaging system. The equipment allows for clearer, more accurate images of the arteries of the heart, brain, internal organs, and limbs. In 2013, the Cath Lab performed more than one thousand coronary procedures, more than any other Cath Lab in a private institution in the country. With the addition of a second imaging system, the TMC Cardiovascular Center hopes to address the treatment of cardiovascular emergencies in a more effective and timely manner. Interventional cardiologists can perform longer vascular procedures without compromising access to an emergency procedure if needed.

“Those who depend on us to take care of their cardiac patients can continue to rely on us for excellent care,” says Dr. Gregorio Martinez, Jr., Head of the Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory and the Cardiovascular Center. Dr. Martinez clarifies that responding to cardiac cases, especially heart attacks, is time sensitive. Delays in treating a heart attack patient impact on the size of the damage to the heart muscle, and ultimately on the patient’s prognosis. Prompt diagnosis and right treatment within the specified time frame is vital.

(From left) Dr. Olympia Q. Malanyaon, Head, Section of Pediatric Cardiology; Dr. Michelangelo L. Sabas, Interventional Cardiologist; Dr. Gregorio S. Martinez, Jr., Head, Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory and the Cardiovascular Center, and Dr. Donato R. Maraon, Interventional Cardiologist show off the TMC Cath Lab’s state-of-the-art multi-purpose imaging system

“The TMC Cardiovascular Center has an Acute Myocardial Infarction Program which targets a 90 minute Door-to-Balloon time. This means that a heart attack patient who walks through the doors of our emergency room should have the blocked coronary artery opened in the Cath Lab within 90 minutes. TMC’s expanded Cath Lab capacity, backed by experienced and highly competent interventional cardiologists and support staff who are trained to handle such complex cases, can assure patients of the best possible and the most timely cardiac care,” explains Dr. Martinez.

“The expansion of TMC Cath lab will raise the bar for cardiac care at The Medical City,” says Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Michelangelo Sabas. “Adding a second Cath Lab system not only provides us with the latest technology but will also allow us to care for more patients and reduce the backlog of patients waiting for diagnostic testing. It enables us to care for multiple urgent care patients at once. We can see more patients with less disruption of patient care with this second Cath Lab system.”

Interventional procedures done in the TMC Cath Lab are minimally invasive treatments where doctors use catheters, introduced through a small skin puncture, to access the heart, the coronary arteries, the arteries to the brain and various organs in order to treat abnormal conditions. Furthermore, the TMC Cath Lab offers state of the art technology for coronary angiography and angioplasty, valvuloplasty, pacemaker implantation, peripheral vascular angiography and angioplasty, embolization procedures, cerebral angiography and coiling of intracerebral aneurysms.

It has enhanced capabilities for Fraction Flow Reserve (FFR), Thrombectomy (AngioJet), and the visualization of implanted stents (CLEARstent). FFR measurements, which are done during the angiogram procedure, help identify lesions that restrict blood flow to the heart and therefore serve as accurate guides on whether a borderline narrowing should be opened up with a stenting procedure. Thrombectomy is a procedure to extract blood clots and therefore restore blood flow to arteries and veins clogged with clots (thrombus), while CLEARstent is a stent visualization enhancement tool that makes possible the placement of stents in complex coronary angioplasty.

The TMC Cath Lab is the leading Cath Lab in the country for coronary angiography and angioplasty via radial artery approach. Angioplasty via the radial artery approach makes use of the wrist artery instead of the groin artery as access. This enables patients to go home the same day after the procedure and resume their normal activities the next day. Approximately nine out of ten coronary procedures in the Cath Lab are done via the wrist artery.

“At the TMC Cath Lab, we have a comprehensive range of cutting-edge equipment that can be utilized for more accurate diagnosis and effective and safer treatment. At The Medical City, we treat each patient not as a ‘case’ but as a unique individual who deserves the best informed medical care. This is why acquiring technology which can give us a clearer, more accurate assessment of each patient’s individual case is paramount,” says Dr. Martinez.

BREASTFEEDING: A Winning Goal For Life!

PRNEWS Leave a comment

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set in Year 2000 by governments and the United Nations (UN) to gauge progress in fighting poverty and promoting healthy and sustainable development in a comprehensive way by 2015.

This year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) theme responds to the current MDG countdown process by asserting the importance of increasing and sustaining the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It stresses that wherever your community may be, progress can be made AND sustained. For this to happen you need to be prepared, set goals and targets, join forces and ACT! Protect, Promote and Support breastfeeding… it is a worthwhile goal … and it saves lives!!!

The Millennium Development Goals are:

MDG 4, 5 and 6 are the Health MDGs.

With 2015 just a few months away, there is still a lot of “unfinished business” that requires urgent attention.

  • Poverty, though it has decreased, is still very much present.
  • Malnutrition is still a common problem.
  • Millions of children under five still die each year.
  • Proportion of neonatal deaths is increasing.
  • There is still significant maternal mortality.
  • In developing regions, significant numbers of pregnant women do not meet the recommended minimum antenatal visits.

How is BREASTFEEDING linked to the MDGs?

By protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding, YOU can contribute to each of the MDGs in a substantial way. Exclusive breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding are key interventions for improving child survival, potentially saving the lives of about 20% of children under five. Let’s find out how breastfeeding is linked to each of the Millennium Development Goals

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Exclusive breastfeeding, and continued breastfeeding for two years and beyond, provide high quality nutrients and adequate energy, and can help prevent hunger and malnutrition. Breastfeeding is a natural and low-cost way of feeding babies and children. It is affordable for everyone and does not burden household budgets compared to artificial feeding.

Achieve universal primary education

Breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding are fundamentals for readiness to learn. Breastfeeding and good quality complementary foods significantly contribute to mental and cognitive development, and thus promote learning.

Promote gender equality and empower women

Breastfeeding is the great equaliser, giving every child a fair and best start in life. Most differences in growth between sexes begin as complementary foods are added into the diet, and gender preference begins to act on feeding decisions. Breastfeeding is uniquely a right of women and they should be supported by society to breastfeed optimally.

Reduce child mortality

Infant mortality could be readily reduced by about 13% with improved breastfeeding practices alone, and 6% with improved complementary feeding. In addition, about 50-60% of under five mortality is linked to malnutrition, due to inadequate complementary foods and feeding following on poor breastfeeding practices.

Improve maternal health

Breastfeeding is associated with decreased maternal postpartum blood loss, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and the likelihood of bone loss post menopause. Breastfeeding also contributes to contraception and child spacing, reducing maternal risks of pregnancies too close together, for such as anaemia.

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Exclusive breastfeeding together with antiretroviral therapy for mothers and babies can significantly reduce the transmission of HIV from mother to child. More importantly, breastfeeding reduces the death rate in babies exposed to HIV, thus increasing the rate of HIV-free survival.

Ensure environmental sustainability

Breastfeeding entails less waste when compared to formula production involving the dairy, pharmaceutical, plastics and aluminium industries, and reduces the use of firewood and fossil fuels in the home. With breastfeeding, we have a healthy, viable, non-polluting, non-resource intensive, sustainable and natural source of nutrition and sustenance.

Develop a global partnership for development

The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (GSIYCF) fosters multi-sectoral collaboration, and can build upon various partnerships for support of development through breastfeeding and complementary feeding programs.

BREASTFEEDING helps save lives and is good for mothers’ health too!

What the experts recommend: 9

• Initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
• Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.
• Continued breastfeeding for two years or beyond with adequate complementary feeding from six months of age