Mental Health Check

 How to look after your mental health, as shared by the Mental Health Foundation. 

1.  Talk about your feelings.

2.  Keep active

3.  Eat well

4.  Drink sensibly

5.  Keep in touch

6.  Ask for help

7.  Take a break

8.  Do something you're good at

9.  Accept who you are

10.  Care for others

UNBORN BABIES

This is how a miscarriage looks like.  The specimen would show chorionic villi (fetal parts) in a background of nourishing red blood cells.

We may discuss the histopathology specimen like a medical case, but in a society where the individual needs pervade over pregnancies, family planning modalities allow couples to control reproduction and time when they would have childbearing.  However, for the infertile couple who try so hard to get pregnant, evidence like these of possibilities can hurt deeply, emotionally.  The emotional scars of grief and loss takes time to heal.  I empathize with all women out there whose heart's desire is to hold one's own baby against her bosom.  

For all the unborn babies, I say a prayer for you. God has a reason for everything.  We may not understand it, but you need to trust His heart.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!

We celebrate our smallest victories because life must be lived as if we're dying, because we are...  This week, when it rained, it poured.

1.  VSMMC RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Finally, research advocates of VSMMC gathered together for a strategic planning meeting for the visioning of the VSMMC Research Institute!

2.  CLEARING HOUSE

To assist the Procurement Section of VSMMC to compile, collate and standardize the nomenclature of all items for procurement, the Clearing House was activated to reduce redundancy and confusion on items for procurement.

3. GAWAD BAYANING KALUSUGAN

I finally received the plaque for the Gawad Bayaning Kalusugan individual category.  I also received the plaque for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology 

Here in the photo are the finalists of Gawad Bayaning Kalusugan: Dr Helen Madamba and Dr Mishelle Bala for individual category.  The Department of Family and Community Medicine, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Department of Pediatrics and the VSMMC Subnational Laboratory.

 

4.  LUIS FLORES AWARD

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology received the Luis Flores Award for blood donation drives for pregnant patients.

5.  PRAISE MOST INNOVATIVE AWARD

I received this Parker pen for the PRAISE award for innovating the SOTTO LIVE social media programs to improve health communications and information dissemination. 

6.  DOH7 RESEARCH CONGRESS

The senior residents of the VSMMC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology bagged the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place of the Pitch for Policy contest of the DOH7 Research Congress.

SOCIAL LISTENING

 

Last June 12, 2021 as we celebrated Philippine Independence Day, I shared my COVID-19 story to the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) for the first time and I was daunted by the task of compressing into a 20 minute presentation everything that happened in more than a year of COVID-19 response.  I was amazed at the reception of people and their words of comfort and positive affirmation.  I realized then how powerful story telling can be, and how one webinar can serve multiple purposes: allow the speaker to review and reflect on past experiences for catharsis; allow the listeners to relate to shared experiences and feel that they are not alone in their struggles; and provide the patients a voice to reach health authorities, political leaders and policy makers to improved health systems.

During the DOH7 Research Congress Dr Iris Isip-Tan discussed about infodemic management, how health spokespersons should have information ecosystem analysis with means to measure impact, and a listening board to evaluate issues for the day.

Having reliable health authorities relay data and information in a language that the general public can understand is crucial in combatting fake news.

On the other hand, Dr Narciso Tapia shared his own experiences with social media support groups of chronic kidney disease patients expressing their opinions and concerns on COVID19 vaccination.  He injected the idea of SOCIAL LISTENING, how program implementers should listen to what clients are saying, how these healthcare conversations can be monitored and mined as a source of data on the patients we want to target for vaccination and other programs.  This way, patients have a voice with which to get their needs across to the healthcare providers.

Sharing also a powerful message from Dr Bryan Lim that we need to put to heart to end this COVID-19 pandemic: the solution to this pandemic is LOVE!

Join us as we discuss SOCIAL LISTENING: listening to experts to combat fake news and listening to clients to improve health systems and programs, tonight at 9PM MLA time on #HealthXPH

T1. What advice can you give to spokespersons?

T2. How do we measure impact of our social media programs?

T3. How can you genuinely attract patient voices?