Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
MYTH 1: THERE’S A PILL FOR EVERY ILL.
There’s no cure for every disease, said former Department of Health former Secretary Alfredo R.A. Bengzon in a forum on Oct. 1 at The Medical City (TMC), “but preventive health care is still the way to go.” Alas, it is common practice in the Philippines for the majority of doctors prescribe a drug during consultations, when it shouldn’t be so. The 1991 Ramon Magsaysay awardee for governance, who is also TMC’s president and chief executive officer, said that they’re trying to change that way of doing things. What is more important is to establish a good relationship between a patient and a doctor so the patient feels at ease when it comes to sharing information about his or her health conditions. The doctor does not necessarily have to prescribe drugs at every check up.
According to TMC director Dr. Eugenio Jose F. Ramos, sometimes husbands get angry with their wives who divulge their partner’s health problems when it’s necessary for the doctors to hear the full story.
He said it’s important to have a transparent, tell-all relationship between doctors and patients.
MYTH 2: WITH OLD AGE COMES MANY KINDS OF SICKNESS.
It is not necessarily true that with old age comes ill health, the doctors said.
Just because one is old does not mean he or she is bound to be sickly and frail. “Health should be an investment,” said Dr. Bengzon. Anyone can be healthy even in old age, he added.
Common mistake: Filipinos are guilty of skipping regular checkups unless a glaring symptom is present.
Dr. Ramos noted that the majority of the Filipinos consider the annual checkups companies conduct for their employees a nuisance. “We are [bothered by] forced checkups. A lot of us never bother to go to a doctor without any symptoms,” he said.
“Health is central to human life. We need to dramatize it if we want to debunk myths and to change outcomes, which result to behavior change,” said Dr. Bengzon.
With the goal of empowering Filipinos to be more proactive when it comes to their health, TMC is launching its Be Healthy Always campaign, which will offer free checkups and consultations on Oct. 10 and 11 at the Activity Center of the TriNoma mall in Quezon City.
There will be 10 to 12 doctors in six hubs: cardiology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, wellness, gynecology, and obstetrics.
“Prevention should be integrated into all aspects of our lives. The overarching goal of this movement is to increase the number of Filipinos who are healthy at every stage of their life,” said Dr. Bengzon.
While the kick-off campaign initially targets Metro Manila (according to Dr. Ramos, more than 50% of doctors in the Philippines practive within the megalopolis), it is planned that the Be Healthy Always campaign be a continuous process, with the two doctors saying they are calling more partners in order for it to go nationwide and have a long run.