PIA TURNS OVER EQUIPMENT, FUNDS TO PGH: Senate Committee on Health and Demography Chair Sen. Pia S. Cayetano is being briefed on some of the modern medical equipment she helped finance for the Obstetrics-Gynecology Department of the Philippine General Hospital. With her are (from left to right) Dr. Orlino Talens, UP Manila Vice Chancellor for Administration, Dr. Carmelo Alfiler, PGH Director and Dr. Blanca De Guia. Cayetano led the turnover of P2-million worth of new equipment and funds for the salaries of nurses at the PGH Pediatric Nuerosurgical Operating Room last Nov.14.

Senator Pia S. Cayetano led the turnover of around P2 million worth of brand new equipment to the Obstetrics-Gynecology (Ob-Gyne) Department of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila last year in November 14, 2007. She also donated a check worth P340, 000.00 to help boost the nursing complement at the hospital's Pediatric Nuerosurgical Operating Room.

The new equipment, which include a colposcope, two single-unit tocodynamometers and one double-unit tocodynamometer, were acquired from the United States by PGH using the Philippine Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) of Cayetano, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography.

Hospital officials described the new acquisitions as "highly specialized and world-class facilities" which will now be accessible to poor patients of PGH.

The colposcope is a modern medical tool used to examine a patient's cervix and detect abnormalities. The unit is complete with cryotherapy, leep and a video capture system which makes it a complete diagnostic and therapeutic facility for pre-malignant diseases of the cervix.

The new equipment will also allow the PGH to train colposcopists all over the country, thereby boosting the capability of personnel in other medical facilities.

The tocodynamometers are used to comprehensively monitor the vital signs of the baby as the mother contracts during labor.

On the other hand, the amount donated by Cayetano will be used to support the training of subspecialty nurses assisting in neurosurgery operations of pediatric patients at the PGH.

The funds were sourced from the Compañero Rene L. Cayetano Foundation and the Gabriel Symphony Foundation, named after the lady senator's late father, Sen. Rene Cayetano and son, Gabriel Cayetano-Sebastian, respectively.

"I understand that the pediatric nuerosurgical operating room operates an average of 2 to 3 pediatric patients a day. These include very young children suffering from serious ailments like hydrocephalus and brain tumors," she pointed out.

"The additional funding is expected to boost the facility's nursing complement and cover an additional 200 operations annually," she added, noting that the facility started operations only this year but still lacks the necessary manpower due to scarcity of funds.

From 2004-2006, Cayetano allocated a total of P19.75 million from her PDAF to finance the acquisition of medical equipment and help support several programs, including the UP-PGH Women's Desk, Sports Medicine Unit, Liver Cancer Society and medical assistance for indigent
patients.

For 2007, the lady senator has so far pledged P13.4 million for the indigents program and other projects at the premier state hospital. #