Lessons from the UPCM forums

Lessons from the UPCM forums


The UP College of Medicine's series of forums, held as part of the UPCM centennial celebration, brought to light some of the most important personal and collective lessons on being doctors and public servants, as conveyed by distinguished UPCM alumni.

Health and Human Values

Former Secretaries of Health, Dr. Antonio Periquet and Dr. Alberto Romualdez, emphasized the health sector's need for value-driven leaders to spearhead reforms. They also elaborated how the college plays a vital role in developing the values of its students.

Dr. Periquet commented that the health crisis is being overlooked by national government. In response to this crisis, he cited the need for equity, fairness, social justice, efficiency, and effectiveness. He expressed how quality health service should be made accessible to all, through health professionals with compassion, patience, honesty, respect and humility. He also advised against fraud, waste, abuse and incompetence, with regards to current health costs and limitations.

Dr. Romualdez described how UPCM helps its students develop values such as equality, helpfulness, respect, solidarity, concentration, discipline, truth, and humanness throughout medical schooling. He recalled that his knowledge, values and experiences as a student and doctor served as his foundations in making key policy decisions in health and other areas of governance.

Amid the dismal state of health in our country, the said values, plus, integrity and humanness are vital and should be passed on to the next generations of medical practitioners. Dr. Victoria Villareal, Dean of the West Visayas State University College of Medicine, affirmed this as well.

UPCM Dean Cecilia Tomas concluded this colloquium held last July 29 by urging the students to “stand steadfast on the right values and principles.”

Popularizing People's Health

In rendering the highest quality of health care possible, imagination, versatility and humor should also be employed. This was what Senator Juan Flavier, former Health Secretary and considered as the most popular doctor in the Philippines, conveyed in the August 12 colloquium. And these qualities are best developed through years of community-based health work.

Senator Flavier is known for being a community doctor and a prime mover of the "doctors-to-the-barrios" thrust of the government. He has made health "media-friendly, exciting, doable, innovative and current" (aptly termed, MEDIC). His parables, catch-phrases and acronyms helped make health accessible to the masses, as his policies also aimed to bring health into the people's hands themselves. Who would forget his Let's DOH It, Oplan Alis Disis, and Yosi Kadiri as some of the DOH campaigns that inspired people to participate in ensuring good health?

Dr. Michael Tan, chair of the UP department of medical anthropology, reiterated the effectiveness and advocated the use of Filipino culture to educate the masses, to adapt and make healthy practices relevant to daily life.

Dr. Penelope Domogo, Provincial Health Officer of Mountain Province, related how the people heeded Dr. Flavier's initiatives and appreciated his way of teaching them how to care for themselves. She imparted the college and medical practitioners, in general, with the challenge to share more of themselves to the people.

Dr. Florence Tienzo, community doctor and specialist for the World Bank, expressed gratitude to their mentors, especially to Dr. Flavier and Dr. Galvez-Tan, for inspiring them and being their role models. She reminded about the importance of ensuring resources and capabilities, and that everyone should be involved and mobilized, for efficient health service delivery.

The forum also stressed that partnerships with local governments, businesses and the private sector, NGOs, civic-oriented organizations and in fact, with everyone, should be strengthened. To this end, UPCM Dean Tomas reminded the audience that however numerous health-related issues are, we should work together and strive to resolve them.

Engaged in this jovial and inspiring forum, UPCM constituents filled both BSLR East and West to a "standing room only".

Heroism and the UPCM

UPCM's history teems with everyday acts of heroism and at times, extraordinary feats that leave indelible marks. It is not surprising that the college entails its constituents to a life of service, since medicine is synonymous to caring and giving oneself for the wellness of others. In carrying out its mission, UPCM produces good physicians who are themselves heroes to their patients and their patients' families, and contributors to the country's welfare. Chancellor Marita Reyes explained how these are intertwined last September 20.

Dr. Reyes talked about the tradition of heroism at UPCM. She narrated the many roles wherein doctors perform acts of heroism, such as: "servants of the underserved at the risk of their own lives, fighters for country and freedom, community champions, visionaries, pioneers in the basic sciences and clinical specialties, gender champions, and good physicians". The institution itself, "the UPCM served as a refuge and symbol of hope for the wounded and the homeless during World War II, as protector of those who fought against the oppression and tyranny of martial rule, and as champion of academic freedom."

To conclude this forum, Dr. Reyes called for continuing heroism in response to the health crisis. Her challenge was for many more to take risks to make this world a better place.

Surmounting challenges

Last October 4, Dr. Alran Bengzon, former Secretary of Health, now President and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical City Hospital, encouraged the UPCM community to keep on making a difference in people's lives.

Health, according to Dr. Bengzon, reflects the kind of politics prevailing, as ailments and diseases are symptoms of an ailing society. He learned early in his career that “the roots of health care problems are systemic and therefore demand a systemic solution.” He was among those in UPCM who associated social with physical illnesses in analyzing social issues, and resisted Martial Law. He related the importance of other health professionals in delivering health care, for instance, during the Aquino administration when the DOH deployed 2000 midwives nationwide and lowered child morbidity. He then told a story about heroism or unconditional service to the people, the story of the midwife who died while transporting vaccines across a raging river.

He advised doctors-to-be on the need to listen, care and relate with their patients. He reminded the audience that doctors must consider their patients as partners rather than subordinates. And that a more equitable society can promote access to better health care. He challenged everyone to reexamine UPCM's role in today's prevailing crisis, to look beyond the obstacles and look for possibilities and partnerships that can help solve the said issues.