By Dr. Benjamin D. Vergara
Light That Transforms

THE competitiveness of today's educational institutions, such as Saint Louis University (SLU), is no longer solely based on being able to sustain their academic excellence, track record and the competence of their staff.

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Rather, it equally rests on how they efficiently and effectively provide and deliver essential basic services to their employees and students.

These may include the enrichment and appreciation of cultural heritage, inculcation of spiritual values, the development of recreation and sports skills, as well as the availability of adequate medical and dental services.

Being a university founded by the CICM missionaries, SLU ensures that she has an organized way of providing medical and dental services.

SLU provides her students and employees with professional medical and dental services that cover most aspects of general medicine.

Our clinics are manned by professional medical and dental teams composed of skilled and experienced physicians, dentists, and registered nurses dedicated to caring various clients and offering top-quality service.

The SLU Medical Clinic was established in the late 1950s to accommodate the health needs of the growing population of then Saint Louis College.

It was originally located at the 3rd floor of the Gonzaga building along Gen. Luna Road. Today, it is in its permanent place at the ground floor of the Diego Silang building in the Bonifacio campus.

The SLU medical clinic, which is composed of two physicians, three nurses, and two working students, is open from Monday to Saturday.

Our services include the treatment of various diseases and injuries. Patients diagnosed to have communicable diseases like conjunctivitis, German measles, chickenpox are requested to rest at home to prevent the disease from transferring to other susceptible individuals. Starter doses of medicines are given for free.

Laboratory examinations like complete blood count, blood chemistries, urinalysis, fecalysis, and X-rays can also be requested from our office. We perform an annual physical examination of all SLU employees, Medicine, Nursing, Radiologic technology, Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory Science students enrolling for internship.

Likewise, we also examine transferees, athletes, men's residence hall applicants, students undergoing on the job training, and those enrolled in Adapted Physical education.

We also undertake information dissemination by distributing handouts regarding common diseases and preventive measures that can be done to control them.

We also conduct an analysis of the water from the different drinking fountains in the campuses in coordination with the SLU Clinical Laboratory - Microbiology Section and the Special Services Department to ensure that the water is potable. We also inspect regularly the laboratories and canteens.

On the other hand, the SLU Dental clinic is a responsive unit that brings about an optimal level of wellness in oral health.

We render quality dental health services, advocate and maintain the general oral health of students and employees through chair side instructions, annual orientations, implementation of preventive measures, early diagnosis of any dental problems, prompt diagnosis and management of the problems.

The basic services we provide are dental examination or dental check-up, treatment of dental pain through medication on anodyne dressing, temporary filling, simple extraction, emergency treatment, consultation and health information.

For inquiries, you may visit Dr. Benjamin Vergara, the head of the SLU Medical Clinic, Rm. S-221, Diego Silang building, Tels. 444-8246 (to 48 & 53) or 442-2793 local 249; and Dr. Raquel P. Ramos, the head of the SLU Dental Clinic, Rm. S-223, local 327, same building. Until next Friday, God bless!

For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos.

(November 29, 2008 issue)
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