ICT firm renders big bite vs animal rabies
By Tonette Orejas - Inquirer
SUBIC, Zambales—Saving people from animal rabies infection is what the Intellectual Properties Ventures Group (IPVG) has chosen as its corporate social responsibility program.
The IP Foundation, corporate arm of the Filipino-owned information and communications technology firm, has expanded the program in Zambales, partnering with the Zambales War Against Poverty Foundation (ZWAPF) to open an animal bite treatment clinic (ABTC) in Barangay Wawandue here.
The ABTC—the 14th that the IP Foundation has established in the provinces since 2006, is housed at the ZWAPF’s drugstore, which supports a chain of 236 barangay-based outlets.
Also known as the “Botika Natin sa Nayon,” the outlets sell cheap generic medicines.
The newest facility is also run by the Family Vaccine and Specialty Clinics Inc. (FVSC), which the IP Foundation has organized, said Greg Ortile, FVSC general manager.
As of Aug. 3 or in just a week of operations, the ABTC has already rescued five children from the deadly virus, said Ramon Lacbain II, ZWAPF executive director.
“Our first patient was an Aeta child bitten by a monkey in Castillejos town. The others were children bitten by dogs,” Lacbain said.
The ZWAPF and FVSC are planning to open a second clinic in the capital town of Iba.
“The collaboration established between IP Foundation and the ZWAPF with the Botika Natin program is a milestone for the beneficiaries of both organizations. We are happy that our health service endeavors can be used to further the livelihood program for the people of Zambales at the same time address the rabies problem,” said IP Foundation chair Marco Santos after the launch on July 28.
“We are hopeful that nearby provinces will soon follow and join the campaign,” Santos said.
The goal of the foundation is to set up 100 ABTCs all over the Philippines, which ranked fourth among countries with high number of rabies cases. India, China and Bangladesh top the list, according to the World Health Organization.
The program supports the antirabies campaign of the Department of Health and WHO, Santos said.
What FVSC provides is “affordable, accessible and available” animal bite and antirabies treatment.
An injection of the vaccine costs P375.
The FVSC said residents would no longer have to travel long distances and buy expensive vaccines individually to get treatment.
“At the same time, the FVSC’s low-cost pricing is further augmented by a free injection to be given during the first and last visit out of the total eight [injections] required,” it said.
Citing DOH information, the IP Foundation said rabies, a viral infection of animals, can be transmitted to humans through the saliva of infected animals, most often by a bite or scratch or licks on wounds or cuts, or mucous membrane, such as the eyes, nose or mouth.
At least 98 percent of rabies cases in the Philippines come from dog bites and 2 percent, from cats. Rabies infection kills 300 to 600 Filipinos yearly, the DOH said.
The FVSC’s work comes at no cost to the local government. It provides vaccines, nurses and all the equipment in the center and uses only globally accepted, high quality vaccines.
The vaccines are all Bureau of Food and Drugs-approved, WHO-recognized and complies with WHO and DOH guidelines, the IP Foundation said.
SUBIC, Zambales—Saving people from animal rabies infection is what the Intellectual Properties Ventures Group (IPVG) has chosen as its corporate social responsibility program.
The IP Foundation, corporate arm of the Filipino-owned information and communications technology firm, has expanded the program in Zambales, partnering with the Zambales War Against Poverty Foundation (ZWAPF) to open an animal bite treatment clinic (ABTC) in Barangay Wawandue here.
The ABTC—the 14th that the IP Foundation has established in the provinces since 2006, is housed at the ZWAPF’s drugstore, which supports a chain of 236 barangay-based outlets.
Also known as the “Botika Natin sa Nayon,” the outlets sell cheap generic medicines.
The newest facility is also run by the Family Vaccine and Specialty Clinics Inc. (FVSC), which the IP Foundation has organized, said Greg Ortile, FVSC general manager.
As of Aug. 3 or in just a week of operations, the ABTC has already rescued five children from the deadly virus, said Ramon Lacbain II, ZWAPF executive director.
“Our first patient was an Aeta child bitten by a monkey in Castillejos town. The others were children bitten by dogs,” Lacbain said.
The ZWAPF and FVSC are planning to open a second clinic in the capital town of Iba.
“The collaboration established between IP Foundation and the ZWAPF with the Botika Natin program is a milestone for the beneficiaries of both organizations. We are happy that our health service endeavors can be used to further the livelihood program for the people of Zambales at the same time address the rabies problem,” said IP Foundation chair Marco Santos after the launch on July 28.
“We are hopeful that nearby provinces will soon follow and join the campaign,” Santos said.
The goal of the foundation is to set up 100 ABTCs all over the Philippines, which ranked fourth among countries with high number of rabies cases. India, China and Bangladesh top the list, according to the World Health Organization.
The program supports the antirabies campaign of the Department of Health and WHO, Santos said.
What FVSC provides is “affordable, accessible and available” animal bite and antirabies treatment.
An injection of the vaccine costs P375.
The FVSC said residents would no longer have to travel long distances and buy expensive vaccines individually to get treatment.
“At the same time, the FVSC’s low-cost pricing is further augmented by a free injection to be given during the first and last visit out of the total eight [injections] required,” it said.
Citing DOH information, the IP Foundation said rabies, a viral infection of animals, can be transmitted to humans through the saliva of infected animals, most often by a bite or scratch or licks on wounds or cuts, or mucous membrane, such as the eyes, nose or mouth.
At least 98 percent of rabies cases in the Philippines come from dog bites and 2 percent, from cats. Rabies infection kills 300 to 600 Filipinos yearly, the DOH said.
The FVSC’s work comes at no cost to the local government. It provides vaccines, nurses and all the equipment in the center and uses only globally accepted, high quality vaccines.
The vaccines are all Bureau of Food and Drugs-approved, WHO-recognized and complies with WHO and DOH guidelines, the IP Foundation said.
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
8:51 AM
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