Wednesday, October 25, 2006 Arroyo wants mental ailments among Filipinos minimized
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called for a full-scale implementation of the "newborn screening test" to prevent mental retardation and early deaths among Filipinos.
"Let us help save some 33,000 newly born babies from mental retardation and deaths every year," the President said.
Citing the importance of having healthy and intelligent citizens in helping achieve the Philippines' goal to be globally competitive, the President urged parents and doctors to support the test that could detect any abnormalities in a newly born child.
"I'm calling on all parents and doctors to support this program, parents should ask their doctors about the test and doctors should tell the parents about the test. It is cheaper to grow a normal child than one with abnormalities," the President said in Tagalog during a roundtable discussion in Malacañang on the "newborn screening test".
The newborn screening test, which involves pricking the heel of the baby for a few drops of blood within 48 hours after being born, aims to test the newborn for certain harmful or potentially fatal disorders that are not otherwise apparent upon birth.
The cases include metabolic disorders often called inborn errors of metabolism, which interfere with the body's use of nutrients to maintain physical health and produce energy, while other problems are on hormones and blood.
Arroyo said newborn screening test would now be included in the National Action Plan for Infants that was launched last year and in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) package.
She also ordered Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to come out with policy guidelines for local government hospitals and transfer of the technical know-how on the newborn screening test to primary and secondary hospitals.
Duque informed the President that 1,200 tertiary hospitals nationwide are conducting the newborn screening test that was introduced in the Philippines 10 years ago. (JMR/Sunnex)
(October 25, 2006 issue) Write letter to the editor. Click here. Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here.
