Here's another addition to Davao's new development focusing on health and wellness with modern facility ....


Davao bizmen putting up P300-M medical research center

DAVAO CITY, Sept. 11 (PNA) -- A group of Filipino-Chinese businessmen here is opening up a medical center after seeing the lack of hospital beds at the height of dengue outbreak in the city recently.

Metro Davao Medical and Research Center (MDMR) medical director doctor Yvette Yenco-Tan said the group of businessmen here just want to offer health care facilities and good medical service to the people of Davao with a starting capital expenditure of P300 million.

She said MDMR would be fully operational before the year ends. A soft opening of the hospital’s ancillary services will be held on Sept. 16.

Although she did not name all the owners, Tan said Sammy Uy, president of Limso Medical Center here, was one of the owners and when they (owners) bought the old Cuison Hotel, their intention was to put up a business that would support the people of Davao on the health aspect.

She said they wanted to complement with the other hospitals operating here and in fact, the MDMR is just one block away from the government-owned Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

Aside from operating as a hospital, Tan said the center would also house doctors’ clinics where 161 physicians would open their respective clinics to the public next week with varied specialization from pediatrics, EENT (ear, eye, nose and throat), dermatology, general medicine, internist, obstetrics and gynecology and others field.

She said they were looking at operating it as medical service and wellness center even as she said it would also offer all care physical therapy and wellness rehab services.

The MDMR, she said, would have a clinical research component that cater on chronic illnesses. It is designed with modern architecture sporting vibrant colors to make the environment alive.

There will also be several food kiosks just like what can be seen in malls, she said. (PNA) 

Prix Digna D. Banzon/ldp/utb

Doctors beef up campaign against prostate cancer in Davao City

A group of doctors has conducted symposium during a Prostate Cancer Awareness Day at SM City Davao Entertainment Center here.

The group also conducted consultation among males as their way of letting them understand the importance of having an examination.

Davao Cancer Society president Dr. Helen Grace Te-Santos, said prostate cases had turned out alarming because most of the male population did not submit themselves for check up.

“This kind of attitude is still common among males. That is why they deemed it urgent to call on all the males for an early detection check up,” Santos said.

She said with the increasing number of cases on prostate cancer, it is a must among males with ages 45 and above to submit for an annual check up as cases continue to increase because the male population does not want their selves examined for an early detection.

Prostate cancer is among the leading ailment in the Philippines, with lung cancer topping the list for overall cases followed by cancer of the breast, colon, liver, ovary and cervix.

"Our campaign will be continuing on cancer cases and next month we will delve on cases in the head and heart," she said.

Santos led a symposium with a group of doctors facilitating the discussion.

She said the examination of the prostate was the counterpart of the annual pap smear check up among women and this had to be a regular yearly check up.

Cancer of the prostate is the 6th most common for overall cancer cases but among males its 4th among males.

New cases, she said, in 2005 was at 4,254 and deaths at 2,571.

Citing the 2005 Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates, she said the median survival was 52 months. About 43.14 percent of the cases survived in five years while 30.74 percent survived 10 years.

Prostate cancer cases have significantly increased and expected to continue as the disease begins to rise steeply beginning at 55 years old.

Proper education would correct misconception about the disease, she said.

She said for an early detection, a test to assay prostatic antigen (PSA) is accurate enough to be used to detect prostate cancer, either as a screening method in asymptomatic men or in symptomatic individuals.

"If positive, a diagnostic biopsy is performed and if PSA test is not available, biopsy or suspicious areas in the enlarged prostate, detected by rectal digital examination and/or transrectal ultrasound is done on symptomatic individuals. Annual transrectal digital rectal examination on asymptomatic men who are 50 years or older may detect early prostate and rectum cancer," she said.

She said increasing age is the most important risk factors and the increasing numbers of Filipino males who are 55 years and older is the main reason for the significant increase and expected continuing increase in incidence.

Males who start a healthy lifestyle early in life and are able to sustain the healthy habits throughout life may lower their individual risk of prostate cancer, she said. (PNA) PDB/lvp