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The pet veterinarian as a public health advocate

The role of the veterinarian in promoting public health does not always involve work in

developing countries or tropical places. Zoonotic diseases, or diseases common between

animals and people, are present worldwide, including in the homes of pet owners.

Due to close contact with their pets, children are at higher risk of contracting diseases

from companion animals. (http://leerburg.com/308.htm)

More than half of infectious diseases in people are shared with animals, including some

of the more famous diseases like rabies, plague or influenza. However, there are morepathogens that pets can harbor and can infect people.

http://globalhealthvet.com/2011/11/25/the-pet-veterinarian-as-a-public-health-advocate/http://globalhealthvet.com/2011/11/25/the-pet-veterinarian-as-a-public-health-advocate/http://globalhealthvet.com/2011/11/25/the-pet-veterinarian-as-a-public-health-advocate/

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Public Health is indeed a multi disciplinary process in achieving optimum health,

prolonging life, prevention of diseases and improving the quality of life of the people.

This does not mean that people should refrain from having pets and, if the animals are

treated properly, the benefits of having a pet definitely outweigh the risks. What needs tobe done is to realize that these animals should be maintained healthy in order to reduce

likelihood of transmission of disease to people

It is clear that the importance of pets in todays households is significant, and it is thus

crucial for animal owners and physicians to take into account the pet when looking atdisease dynamics in a family. Indeed, pets can serve as a source of infection to people,

and vice versa, and the close contact that many have with their companion animals puts

them at higher risk of infection from these pathogens. This is why the veterinarian should

be an active member of a familys health team and work together with family physicianswhen evaluating how the pets health can affect households.

In order to assess this risk of transmission of zoonosis from pets to humans, it is

important to focus our attention on several groups who are at higher risk of infection.These usually include children, the elderly, pregnant women or those with depressed

immune systems like those individuals with HIV, cancer or other chronic conditions.

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2) Giardia

Giardia is one of the most commonly recognized zoonotic diseases from pets, it isimportant to realize that, in practice, it may not be the most important. There are in fact

several different strains ofGiardia lamblia, and each strain commonly affects a specific

host. For example,Giardia

types C and D only infect dogs, while type F only infects cats human infection from these strains is not likely to cause disease in people, who are

usually colonized by type A2. Some strains, however can infect a wide range of species,

including people, and those are the ones that have zoonotic potential.

Clinical appearance in both animals and humans is similar, commonly showing

gastrointestinal involvement. Dogs and cats most often have watery diarrhea that may bebloody, depending on the severity of the infection. Vomiting, lethargy and decreased

appetite can also be present. Diagnostics is usually done through evaluation of a fecal

sample by identifying the parasite its cyst form directly under the microscope, although

other tests like ELISA can detect the microbe more efficiently. Humans show very

similar symptoms, including diarrhea and abdominal pain. Treatment in both animals andpeople include medicating with drugs such as metronidazole or fenbendazole.

.

Stained Giardia protozoans in their trophozoite forms (cdc.gov)

It is important to recognize that, both in animals and people, the parasite can be present in

asymptomatic individuals, which suggests that it is part of the natural flora. This means that

those who show significant disease from an infection may be more sensitive to it, such as kids

(and puppies) or the immune-compromised.

http://globalhealthvet.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/giardia_trophs.jpg

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Giardia lamblia are unicellular protozoans that are present in both animals andpeople. Commonly found in the intestinal tract of many animal species including wildlife,

the parasites are shed in the feces and can survive well in water sources

Gardiasis in animals can be challenging to treat and using a single drug may not do

the trick. The current recommended treatment includes using metronidazole and

fenbendazole together for better control.

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/giardiasis.pdfhttp://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/giardiasis.pdfhttp://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/giardiasis.pdfhttp://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/giardiasis.pdfhttp://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/giardiasis.pdf

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3) Ringworm

(Microsporum canis) infection in a person. (dermnetnz.org)

Ringworm, or dermatophytosis, is one of the most common zoonotic diseases that affects

a wide range of animals, especially cats, as well as people. It is caused by a group of

fungus that can be found on the skin of many pets and can be spread to other individuals

through direct contact, such as petting, but also fomites (couch, bedding) and fleas.Animals usually have a mild localized skin infection characterized by an area of hair loss

and skin inflammation that may or may not be itchy. Likewise, in people, ringworm is

characterized by circular skin lesions and is not usually severe if the individuals immunesystem is working normally. Children tend to be at higher risk of infection due to their

closer contact with pets. Not all cases of human ringworm are caused by a zoonotic

species of fungus and it is important that physicians dealing with dermatophytosisinfection in a family recommend veterinary examination of the pets to help control the

outbreak.

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/dermatophytosis.pdfhttp://globalhealthvet.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/tfgirs.jpghttp://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/dermatophytosis.pdf

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The Future of Public Health Care System of the Philippines

Public health or primary healths main objective is to ensure that people are healthy

through prevention and control of diseases and the promotion and protection of health. It is

also the most effective way of bringing down the cost of health and ensuring that everyone has

access to quality health care. This is because public health centers on promotive and preventive

services.

Increasing the budget allocation of Public Health entails prioritization of programs and

projects that are epidemiologically sound, sustainable, low-cost and high impact. The DOH has

identified the following priority impact programs; Pharmaceuticals, Health insurance,

Tuberculosis, Infectious diseases, Vectors-borne (Contagious) diseases, Vaccine-preventable

diseases, Women's health and Children's health.

Increased financial investments for public health means securing more funding over aperiod long enough to achieve the goals of eliminating disease, encouraging new investments

for the development and implementation of health promotion and protection programs to

address existing and emerging health problems, and putting in place mechanisms to sustain

these financing arrangements.

Development and strengthening of technical expertise in public health capabilities of

central and regional health offices in providing technical leadership over local health systems

need to be enhanced. Technical leadership means good information and knowledge about new

health technologies and practices. It also means advocacy for scientifically proven and

appropriate technologies and services. There is a need to retrain and retool central and regionallevel health personnel. Also needed is an orientation and training of local health personnel and

local executives on national health goals, basic knowledge and technical skills to handle primary

and secondary disease prevention and control.

Management capabilities of central and local health managers and staff need to be

improved. Innovative approaches need to be developed. Public health concepts need to be

integrated into hospital services to provide continuity of health services. Also needed are

revitalized management systems for research, policy and standards development, research,

disease surveillance, laboratory services, health information systems, and monitoring

and evaluation.

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BETTER GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS IN CAGAYAN

Forecasting is an important procedure in order to come up with factual information about

what is going to happen in a given organization on the basis of what have happened prior to the

desired outcome. It is defined as a process of estimation in unknown situation. As we are faced

with different alternatives in our everyday existence in this world, forecasting would be of great

help to us in designing and helping us in decision making and eventually making suitable

changes for our organizations.

Forecasting Future Policies could make dramatic changes if applied properly in Public

Health most specially in government hospitals. As we all know these facilities create huge

impact in the health care situation of our country. Being run with antiquated system of policies

long before formulated, change is indeed needed to make a turnaround.

Making use of Theoretical Forecasting we would be able to have a glimpse into the future

of our government hospitals most specially the district hospitals in Cagayan

The Provincial health office is mandated among others to formulate and implement

Provincial Health Plan according to national health policies; Monitor different health plans in the

rural health units and district hospitals; Conduct trainings to frontline health service providers

on program management and implementation; manage the operations of the 15 district,

municipal, medicare and emergency hospitals in the province

With less than 1000 badly managed bed capacity hospitals to accommodate over 1.2

million population plus patients from Cagayan not counting patients from neighboring

provinces, Cagayan government hospitals are indeed in bad shape.

In connection with the instruction stated in the Public Health Reform to strengthen the

capacity of the DOH to exercise technical leadership in disease prevention and control; enhance

the effectiveness of local public health delivery systems and sustain funding for priority public

health programs over a period required to remove them as public health threats. Management

capabilities of central and local health managers and staff need to be improved. Innovative

approaches need to be developed. Public health concepts need to be integrated into hospital

services to provide continuity of health services. Also needed are revitalized management

systems for research, policy and standards development, research, disease surveillance,

laboratory services, health information systems, and monitoring and evaluation.

Hospital reform program provide fiscal and managerial autonomy to government

hospitals, which involves improving the way hospitals are governed and financed so that quality

of care is improved, hospital operations are cost efficient, revenues are enhanced and retained,

and dependence on direct budget subsidies are reduced. Alongside this is to modernize local

health system which aims to promote the development of local health systems where

networking among municipal and provincial health facilities are functional and sustained by

cooperation and cost sharing among local government units (LGUs) in the catchment area.

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The incorporation of the Japanese Management Philosophy most particularly the 5Sis

one policy that should be adapted in all district hospitals because with this policy we could be

able to derive several policies that could improve the Public Heath Care System of the P most

specially if applied in the different district hospitals in Cagayan.

5S is a Japanese system that is use to reduce waste and optimize productivity throughmaintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational

results. Implementation of this method cleans up and organizes the workplace basically in its

existing configuration.

The 5s is a list of 5 Japanese words, Sort (seiri), Set in Order (seiton ), Shine (seiso),

standardize (seiketsu), and sustain (shitsuke), provide a methodology for organizing, cleaning,

developing and sustaining a productive work environment. The list describes how to organize a

work space for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing. In the daily work of an

organization, routines that maintain organization and orderliness are essential to a smooth and

efficient flow of activities. This lean method encourages staff to improve their working

conditions and helps them to learn to reduce waste, unplanned downtime and in process

inventory.

What does it mean for a hospital to have Kaayusan (System) and Kalinisan (Clean). It

means that hospital is well-organized and clean using the 5S quality improvement program. 5S

is a proven strategy to improve workplace quality and motivate staff. 5S in hospitals stands for

Sort, Systematize, Sweep, Standardize, and Self-discipline. This is practiced in major companies

and may be replicated in government hospitals.

What does it mean for a hospital to have Kakayahan (Enhanced Capability)? Human

resource capability - hospital has adequate staff and medical specialists. Equipment andinfrastructure capability - hospital facility has basic equipment and infrastructure corresponding

to its classification as a primary or secondary hospital Capability to provide essential drugs and

medical supplies. Enhance efficiencies through management autonomy. Enhanced capability of

patients to afford medical services will be realized through PhilHealth Plus enrollment.

What does it mean for a hospital to have Kita (Financial Strength)? Hospital can generate

revenues to support its operations instead of depending on local government subsidy.

Revenues generated may be used to hire additional manpower, purchase drugs, supplies and

needed equipment, build and improve facilities, and subsidize indigent patients. Earnings can be

retained through indirect government ownership. Hospital staffs are trained on how todetermine the true cost of services.

With the adoption of all these policies it is expected that government hospitals will

generate income to fund part or all its operating requirements, prepared to accept an influx of

PhilHealth patients and expected to ease the cost to provincial governments of maintaining

hospitals .

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Artificial-intelligence feedback

Researchers have developed training-methods for artificial-intelligence devices as well.

Evolutionary algorithms, including genetic programming and other methods ofmachine

learning, use a system offeedback based on "fitness functions" to allow computer programs to

determine how well an entity performs a task. The methods construct a series of programs,

known as a population of programs, and then automatically test them for "fitness", observing

how well they perform the intended task. The system automatically generates new programs

based on members of the population that perform the best. These new members replace

programs that perform the worst. The procedure repeats until the achievement of optimum

performance.[7]

In robotics, such a system can continue to run in real-time after initial training,

allowing robots to adapt to new situations and to changes in themselves, for example, due to

wear or damage. Researchers have also developed robots that can appear to mimic simple

human behavior as a starting point for training.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_algorithmshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_programminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedbackhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_programshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roboticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_time_%28media%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_time_%28media%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roboticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Training#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_programshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedbackhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_programminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_algorithmshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence

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Over a decade ago since Frederick Taylor introduced the Scientific Management

theory which paved the way for the rise of machines in the workplace, numerous

professions followed in automating human work. Taylors theory of deconstructing the

process inspired many that even the most sensitive of all profession has proven notexempted by his influences. For so many years surgery has been strictly hand work for

that was were its name is derived (greek chirugiae), only recently has it succumbed to

the machine invasion. But unlike many machines that were controversial and questioned

during Taylors time robot surgeons are generally easily accepted and embraced by the

open public. Relatively new in the field of surgery it is predicted to be short lived as

robotic surgery is being overtaken and replaced with the more sophisticated, advanced

and popular Nano Technology.

Robotic Surgery is a great scientific breakthrough in modern technology that

create a huge impact in the healthcare profession and the world of medicine.

Its impact creates a big buzz in the world of medicine and at this time and age

people are looking for advancement in science as ways of treatment and procedure.

As such, this topic provides information and serves as eye opener in the world of

robotic surgery. Its effectiveness, accuracy and efficiency may yet leave doubts to some

thus, must be proven on the fact that it is a good option for medical procedure.