Medical Electives

Good day! I have read the article and request of Mr. David Worley regarding his interest on spending his medical elective here in the Philippines and he mentioned that he made some contacts here in Cebu. I would just like to know if he has contacted Cebu Institute of Medicine already. If not yet, I hope you wouldn't mind if I also make a suggestion.

The Cebu Institute of Medicine- Community Medico-Social Services (CIM-CMSS) have been accepting international rotators for their medical electives since 2006. Depending on the length of time of their rotation, we schedule different itineraries for them. We ask them to rotate with our medical interns (senior clerks) in Paknaan, a poor urban community within the industrial belt of Mandaue City where they get to handle first-hand patients in the community and experience running a primary care hospital located within the community.

We can also facilitate for them a rotation at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), a provincial hospital and may be asked to rotate with the medical interns at at the emergency room or at the wards depending on their interests. They may also be ask to do or assist some procedures there. Also, we can facilitate their rotation in neighboring provinces like Bohol, Leyte, etc. if they want to. In fact, last July-August 2008 the department facilitated the rotation of 3 students from the school of Medicine at University College Dublin and this year by around September, we are also expecting some medical students from France.

This elective will allow these international rotators the flexibility they needed to spend time in various hospitals (be it primary, secondary or tertiary hospital) and the community experience they needed. Another advantage is that they would be guided and facilitated by the resident-in-charge of the Community and Preventive Medicine rotation. If Mr. Worley is interested please let him contact:

Thelma La Rosa-Fernandez, M.D.,MPH,FPAFP

Dean

Cebu Institute of Medicine

F. Ramos Street, Cebu City

e-mail her at tootsiemd@yahoo.comI hope this can be of help.

Contributor:

Annely Jane R. Celocia, M.D.

Resident Physician

Cebu Velez General Hospital- Dept. of Family & Community Medicine

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Ebola Virus hits Philippine Hogs

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often fatal disease in humans, monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees.

There are five identified subtypes of Ebola virus namely: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast, Ebola-Bundibugyo and the fifth which is Ebola-Reston. The first four caused disease in humans. Ebola-Reston has so far caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans.

Fortunately, Ebola-Reston was the subtype isolated from the Philippine hogs. The virus unexpectedly jumped from the monkeys to the hogs which can possibly transmit the virus to humans. The virus is transmitted through blood and other body secretions or fluids.

"Is it mutating? We don’t know but we have to keep an eye on its possible transfer to humans and its implications", according to Peter Cordingley, WHO speaker. WHO remains concerned about the jump from the macques to the hogs.

Tests were conducted in May, June and September of 2008.The Department of Agriculture and its agencies led by the Bureau of Animal Industry accidentally discovered the virus while investigating the previous outbreak of the porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome which had badly affected the local hog industry last year.

Infected hogs displayed flu like symptoms. The physical make-up of hogs is closest to that of humans, making hogs an ideal breeding ground for viruses to jump from animals to humans.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Philippine Star, December 21, 2008A-19

COPYRIGHT @ PHILIPPINE-HEALTHNET thru Dr. Jason Abello

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