CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - As an apex hospital, the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) has become an advanced hospital for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases as well as surgical cases.
Dr. Bernard Julius Rocha, heart surgeon and Cardiovascular Care Center head, said the NMMC will cater to patients who have heart diseases that need medication or surgery.
“Kami mga doctor gikan man mi sa Philippine Heart Center, nag-training mi didto, pagbalik namo, nagsugod gyud atong program, gi-full blast nato ang cardiovascular care program. Ang nahitabo man ana, before, dili kaya sa NMMC, sauna kanang mag-opera sa mga naay sakit sa kasingkasing. Katong 2013, nakasugod mi ana, nakaopera ta by March,” he said.
The NMMC waitlist for cardiovascular operations is over 100 a day, not only with the coronary artery bypass but including valve and congenital diseases.
"This is one of the more common illnesses we see at NMMC on a daily basis,” Rocha said.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the top 10 diseases worldwide and is still the number one cause of death among countries. There are two types of heart diseases: one is congenital, and the second is acquired.
Lifestyle, according to Rocha, is a big cause of developing cardiovascular diseases, and this includes five major risk factors, particularly hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, and stress.
“Dili nimo kinahanglan nga makuha ang lima, isa lang, naa nka sakit sa kanang mag bara gyud kanang coronary artery disease,” he explained.
That is why the Department of Health has made a program to come up with a lot of specialty centers so that hopefully these cases go down. “We can help more; hopefully, instead of just plain treatment, we can go to prevention,” the doctor shared.
In terms of financial assistance, Rocha said patients can apply for various government benefits, such as the PhilHealth Z-Benefit package, the DOH Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients Program, and the Malasakit Center. (Jasper Marie O. Rucat)
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