CSMC partners with OCTA Research Group and GO Negosyo for webicon “COVID-19: From Pandemic to Endemic"

 

Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC), together with the OCTA Research Group and GO Negosyo, recently facilitated a relevant and pressing discussion on the country’s progress through the COVID-19 pandemic in its latest webicon entitled “COVID-19: From Pandemic to Endemic". The webicon was held via Zoom and Facebook Livestream last July 28, Thursday.

 

Present as speakers were OCTA Research fellows Prof. Ranjit Singh Rye and Dr. Guido David, GO Negosyo Founder Mr. Jose Maria “Joey” Concepcion, National Task Force Against COVID-19 Special Adviser Dr. Teodoro “Teddy” Herbosa, Health Reform Advocate Dr. Anthony “Tony” Leachon, and Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Rontgene Solante. CSMC’s very own Dr. Paul Salandanan joined in as a reactor, and the event was facilitated by CSMC’s Vice President and Head of Human Resources, Ms. Lucky Diaz-Tiozon.

The webicon opened with a discussion from Rye and Concepcion, taking points from the recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) given by Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Rye and Concepcion talked about what strategies will help the country move forward from an economic standpoint, and how clear, effective, and relevant policies can mitigate COVID-19 and sustain economic recovery.

 

David presented a scientific, research-based analysis on recent COVID-19 trends, comparing the Philippines’ current COVID-related statistics to numbers during previous surges. Solante, on the other hand, provided a look into the various strains of the virus, what differentiates them from each other, and the on-ground experiences of clinicians in handling it.

 

Herbosa touched on the challenges faced by various sectors because of the pandemic, and gave his recommendations on potential exit strategies that can be explored in order to better prepare for potential threats in the future. Leachon followed this up by tackling what measures ought to be observed in order to move forward from the pandemic, while Salandanan offered his own insights as CSMC’s resident Infectious Disease Specialist.

 

The webicon was concluded through an open forum session with all the panelists and speakers, where they stamped out any misconceptions regarding vaccines and COVID-19 testing, and stressed the importance of working together in safeguarding the health and well-being of the Filipino people.

 

“What is important is capacity building,” said Herbosa. “We need to build up our capacity in terms of policy formulations in vaccines, emergencies and pandemics.”

 

“As we move from pandemic to endemic, one of the key elements of any national exit strategy [is to] really ensure access to quality testing,” added Rye. “Apart from expanding treatment 

 

facilities [and making them accessible], we really need to deal with testing. The state has to [find ways to] provide quality antigen testing and [improve the] reporting of these results.”

 

“Getting the first and second booster will protect our healthcare utilization because we are [preventing] people [from] developing the more severe form of COVID, especially if [they] have comorbidities,” said Solante.

 

“The way forward is really informing our public more so that [they] can make better decisions. It is important for us to come up with a holistic and comprehensive plan for everything, whether it is expanded testing and treatment, information campaigns, [or] even just sustaining our booster and vaccine programs,” stressed Rye. “We need to come up with a comprehensive national COVID strategy. That is the challenge for this new administration.”

 

For more information about the programs and services that CSMC offers, please visit https://cardinalsantos.com.ph/. CSMC is also on Facebook, like and follow them at www.facebook.com/CardinalSantos.

 

CSMC’s expanded its mobile clinic program with their latest healthcare innovation, Hospital on Wheels

Due to the rise of the new Omicron variant and an influx of COVID-19 cases in the country, Filipinos are once again confined to their homes, either due to implementations by their local government units, or self-imposing these measures just to keep safe. This means that certain medical tests and procedures have gone back to being remotely accessed.

 

Fortunately, Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC) is prepared for such a situation. Continuing with their quality and patient-centered services, the institution expanded its mobile clinic program with their latest healthcare innovation, Hospital on Wheels.

Taking its cue from its predecessor, the Cardinal on Wheels, the Hospital on Wheels is a larger, 32-foot, ten-wheeler mobile clinic, and is fully equipped to accommodate a variety of hospital services like laboratory tests such as Urinalysis, Fecalysis, and Complete Blood Count among others, and is capable of specialized tests like ECG, Ultrasound, and 2D-Echo. Finally, CSMC’s top medical professionals and staff can also conduct consultations.

 

While the initial program was developed out of CSMC’s desire to meet the medical needs of the community and reach as many patients who need medical care, the Hospital on Wheels takes it one step further by bringing it to corporate partners, small to medium enterprises, private villages and condominiums.

 

Such an effort was acknowledged and even praised by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Atty. Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr., emphasizing during the launch last December how the program benefits the community and helps the government in curbing the pandemic’s effects.

 

For more information about CSMC’s Hospital on Wheels, please call 0928-5543217 or 8724-4115. CSMC is also on Facebook, like and follow them at www.facebook.com/CardinalSantos.