Respiratory and heart diseases are among the top 10 leading causes of death in all age groups in Antique, the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) said in a report. In 2022, there were 582 mortality cases due to pneumonia while there are 325 cases due to myocardial infarction (MI),’ Irene Dulduco, IPHO information officer, said in an interview Wednesday. Rounding out the list are diseases considered to be non-communicable but develop due to the risk factors related to lung and heart diseases – cerebrovascular accident with 294 cases; hypertensive heart disease with 278; cancer with 245; diabetes mellitus with 144; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with 136; hypertension with 135, kidney/renal disease with 86; and sepsis with 82. She noted that these diseases could be due to a sedentary lifestyle, food intake and stress, aside from genetics. ‘We are advocating for people to do physical fitness, eat vegetables and other high-fiber food to remain healthy,’ she said. Department of Health (DOH) – Antique head Dr. Rommel Garganera said pneumonia is an infection either caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi that makes the lungs swell, while MI is a heart attack that happens when a portion of the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen. ‘The DOH is advocating prevention from the diseases before treatment,’ Garganera said. He said two Super Health Centers are being constructed in Sibalom and San Jose de Buenavista towns to provide immediate treatment before patients are referred to hospitals. On Monday, the Provincial Board also passed a resolution supporting Republic Act 11959 or the Regional Specialty Center Act and considered Antique as one of the venues to make health care services accessible for the people. Board Member Victor Condez, in an interview on Wednesday, said there have been many cases of Antiqueños suffering and dying of these diseases because their families could not afford to bring them to Manila, where specialty care clinics/hospitals are located, such as the Heart Center, Kidney Center and Lung Center. ‘Patients from Antique, whenever referred to the hospitals in Manila, feel burdened not only by their medical needs but also of their transportation, food and where to stay during their duration of treatment that there is a need for a specialty center to be put up right in the province,’ said Condez, who sponsored the resolution.
Source: Philippines News Agency