Press Release/ 4 March 2010 The Department of Health (DOH) reported today that 16 out of the 20 DOH-retained hospitals in Metro Manila have fully complied with the directive on phasing out the use of all apparatuses or devices in the healthcare system that contain mercury. The phase-out is in keeping with Administrative Order No. 2008-0021 which mandates the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions. The move to stop the use of all medical devices containing mercury was jumpstarted in 1991, when the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that a safe level for mercury that would not have any adverse effects on a person’s health has never been established. read more

In a joint announcement by Department of Health (DOH) secretary Esperanza I. Cabral and Philippine Cancer Society, Inc. (PCSI) chairman Dr. Roberto M. Paterno, breast cancer is now the most common cancer site in terms of incidence in Metro Manila and Rizal  and has surpassed lung cancer as the most prevalent cancer. “This is significant as far as the DOH cancer control program and the PCS advocacy for prevention and early detection as we need to intensify efforts to save our women from this deadly disease,” said Sec. Cabral during the recently-held formal turnover ceremonies of the publication, “Cancer in the Philippines,” as part of the celebration of World Cancer Day (February 4).  read more

22 January 2010 Health Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral reported today that the Philippine humanitarian team bound for Haiti to render medical assistance in the earthquake-stricken country will leave on Monday, January 25 , 2010. “We are very pleased that so many people helped us in this worthy project to reach out and help those in need,” said Cabral, who highlighted the assistance of Philippine Airlines (PAL) and the Philippine Airlines Foundation (PALF), FedEx and the Department of National Defense (DND). The health chief disclosed that PAL and PALF provided free plane tickets for the whole humanitarian team for the Manila-San Francisco leg of their route.  From there, the team will take a connecting flight to Miami , and then to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic . PAL and PALF also shouldered the tickets for the team’s trip home from San Francisco back to the Philippines.  read more