Health and Lifestyle

Board exam non-passers can work as nursing assistants - PRC

Board exam non-passers can work as nursing assistants - PRC

June 26, 2023, 5:48 pm

MANILA – Nursing graduates who have yet to pass the licensure examination could work as nursing assistants, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said Monday. PRC Commissioner Jose Cueto Jr. said hiring non-board passers is part of the earlier pronouncement of Health Secretary Teodoro… Read More

Nurse shortage not nat'l emergency to issue temporary licenses

Nurse shortage not nat'l emergency to issue temporary licenses

June 26, 2023, 3:28 pm

MANILA – The shortage of nurses could not be considered a “crisis” to support a suggested plan of issuing temporary licenses to nursing graduates who did not pass the board exam, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said Monday. PRC Commissioner Jose Cueto Jr. said the Medical Act of… Read More

Batangas stocks up on emergency blood supply

Batangas stocks up on emergency blood supply

June 23, 2023, 3:35 pm

BATANGAS CITY – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) has reiterated its appeal to qualified donors, especially young and healthy individuals, to participate in any of several ongoing blood-letting drives to allow the province to stock up on emergency blood supply. Arlene Brucal, voluntary blood… Read More

P722.5-M nutrition projects to benefit 60 Bicol LGUs

P722.5-M nutrition projects to benefit 60 Bicol LGUs

June 20, 2023, 8:59 pm

LEGAZPI CITY – A total of 60 local government units (LGUs) in Region 5 (Bicol) will benefit from PHP722.5 million worth of community sub-projects of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), the Department of Social Welfare and… Read More

91% of children in Ilocos get measles-rubella vaccine

91% of children in Ilocos get measles-rubella vaccine

June 19, 2023, 6:02 pm

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The Department of Health regional office in Ilocos (DOH-1) recorded a total of 378,396 children immunized against measles-rubella in the region as of June 16 or 91 percent of the target population. “We commend the determination and perseverance of our implementing… Read More

Tarlac exceeds vax rate target for measles, polio

Tarlac exceeds vax rate target for measles, polio

June 15, 2023, 7:42 pm

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The province of Tarlac has reached over 100 percent of its target children for measles-rubella (MR) and oral polio vaccine (OPV) inoculation. In a report submitted by the Provincial Health Office, 13 towns of Tarlac -- Anao, Bamban, Capas, Concepcion, Gerona,… Read More

DOH eyes to tap ‘board eligibles’ to solve nurse shortage

DOH eyes to tap ‘board eligibles’ to solve nurse shortage

June 8, 2023, 4:51 pm

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) is looking into tapping "board eligibles" to solve the shortage of nurses in public hospitals. “’Yung mga board eligible, 'yung naka-graduate na ng four-year degree pero siguro 'di pa nakapasa na pwedeng ma-hire sa government even without their license… Read More

New DOH chief to prioritize Covid-19, HIV, TB issues

New DOH chief to prioritize Covid-19, HIV, TB issues

June 8, 2023, 4:16 pm Updated on June 8, 2023, 4:56 pm

MANILA – Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said Thursday his administration would focus on the exit plan of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and strategies to improve the situation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) cases in the country. In a televised… Read More

   Pangasinan records 424 dengue cases in first 5 months

Pangasinan records 424 dengue cases in first 5 months

June 6, 2023, 7:17 pm

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan–The Provincial Health Office (PHO) has recorded 424 dengue cases from January 1 to June 5 this year, an insignificant increase from the 419 during the same period last year. More noteworthy is the absence of fatalities just like during the first five months last year,… Read More

Donated bivalent jabs 'not enough' for health workers, elderly

Donated bivalent jabs 'not enough' for health workers, elderly

June 6, 2023, 4:36 pm

MANILA – An infectious diseases expert said Tuesday the government would need two to three million doses of bivalent Covid-19 vaccine to protect the vulnerable population. In a televised public briefing, Dr. Rontgene Solante said the 391,000 doses of bivalent Covid-19 vaccines the Philippines… Read More

Over 573K kids in Ilocos Region get polio, measles-rubella vax

Over 573K kids in Ilocos Region get polio, measles-rubella vax

June 2, 2023, 7:56 pm

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan–The Department of Health Center for Health Development in the Ilocos Region (DOH-CHD-1) reported that 573,369 children in the region have received measles-rubella and polio vaccines as of June 1 or 86 percent of the target population, prompting the extension of the… Read More

7M Filipinos have chronic kidney disease as of 2021

7M Filipinos have chronic kidney disease as of 2021

June 2, 2023, 6:16 pm

MANILA – At least 7 million Filipinos are suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) as of 2021, with one Filipino every hour getting the disease. In a media forum on Friday, Philippine Society of Nephrology fellow Dr. Vimar Luz said the figure is based on the extrapolation report of the… Read More

Covid-19 positivity rate in NCR declines to 22%

Covid-19 positivity rate in NCR declines to 22%

May 29, 2023, 3:00 pm

MANILA – The positivity rate or the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the National Capital Region (NCR) has decreased to 22 percent as of May 27. In a tweet on Monday, OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David said the figure was over a 3 percent… Read More

Solsona RHU now accredited as PhilHealth-Konsulta facility

Solsona RHU now accredited as PhilHealth-Konsulta facility

May 22, 2023, 5:57 pm

LAOAG CITY–A rural health unit (RHU) servicing far-flung communities in the easternmost part of Ilocos Norte province is now accredited as a primary health care provider. Eduardo U. Dularte, chief social insurance officer of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) confirmed this on… Read More

Use of Covid-19 beds in private hospitals rises amid case hike

Use of Covid-19 beds in private hospitals rises amid case hike

May 17, 2023, 3:00 pm

MANILA – The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPi) on Wednesday said the number of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) admitted in most private hospitals has increased by 20 to 50 percent in the past two to three days. In a televised public briefing, PHAPi… Read More

43 percent of Covid-19 deaths are unvaccinated: DOH

43 percent of Covid-19 deaths are unvaccinated: DOH

May 16, 2023, 6:37 pm

MANILA – About 43 percent of recorded deaths due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) are unvaccinated emphasizing the crucial role of vaccination in preventing the disease, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday. As of March 15, the DOH has logged 66,453 Covid-19 fatalities out of… Read More

Campaign sees 5.3M kids vaxxed vs. measles, rubella

Campaign sees 5.3M kids vaxxed vs. measles, rubella

May 16, 2023, 6:34 pm

MANILA – More than five million children have received vaccines for measles and rubella two weeks after the Department of Health launched its campaign against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). “So, para po sa ating measles at rubella na bakuna, tayo po ay nakapagbakuna na (for our measles… Read More

DOH urges Bicol LGUs to step-up vax drive vs. measles, polio

DOH urges Bicol LGUs to step-up vax drive vs. measles, polio

May 15, 2023, 6:05 pm

LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Health in Bicol (DOH-5) has urged local government units (LGUs) to reinforce the implementation of its supplemental immunization activity (SIA) for measles-rubella and oral polio vaccination (MR-OPV) that is being conducted this month. In a statement, Dr. Ernie… Read More

NCR Covid-19 positivity rate slightly rises to 25.4%

NCR Covid-19 positivity rate slightly rises to 25.4%

May 15, 2023, 10:43 am

MANILA – The positivity rate or the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the National Capital Region (NCR) has reached 25.4 percent as of May 13. In a tweet on Sunday night, OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David said the figure was a slight… Read More

DOH detects 3 more cases of Omicron subvariant Arcturus

DOH detects 3 more cases of Omicron subvariant Arcturus

May 12, 2023, 1:57 pm

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) has detected three more cases of the XBB.1.16 Omicron subvariant called Arcturus bringing to four the total number of confirmed cases, all found in Western Visayas. In its biosurveillance report released Thursday night, the DOH noted that the cases are… Read More