Health is Wealth

Health

“To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our minds strong and clear.”
-Anonymous

Our Health is perhaps the most important gift that has been given to us next to the breath of life and we often take it for granted that we will live a long happy and prosperous life, but good health does not come easy it must be maintained. Health is like the main muscle in our bodies. It must be kept strong for it supports everything we are capable of doing. Without health we would be weak and incapable of living our lives.

Our health is important because it gives us the ability to be independent and to do daily the little things that makes us feel special. Health is one of our main sources of surviving the deadly terrains this life has to offer us.

Having a great body should be complimented with an equally great mind. Which means in order to live healthy, we must think healthy as well. We should take care of ourselves and be able to know what’s good and what’s bad for our bodies. We must be fully aware of the safe paths as well as the risks. We also must know the available services that can help us take care of our health.

Primary Health Care

                The government has the responsibility of promoting and protecting the health of every Filipino. The Philippines is one of the fast developing countries which has a quick growing population. In order to meet the needs of the people, the DOH has launched the Primary Health Care Program (PHC). The PHC is a partnership among the residents, the barangay, and private sectors or nongovernment organizations, like the Rotary Club, Daughters of Mary Immaculate, and others. 

Elements of Primary Health Care

The elements of primary health care include the following:

·         Education on the existing health problems and the methods of preventing and controlling them

·         Promotion of adequate food supply and proper nutrition

·         Basic sanitation and an adequate supply of safe water

·         Maternal and child care against infectious diseases

·         Appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries, and provision and proper use pf essential drugs and herbal medicines

·         Immunization against infectious diseases

·         Prevention and control of communicable diseases

Primary health care focuses on the importance of community participation in identifying health and health-related problems and seeking their solutions to improve the socioeconomic development of the community. The emphasis is on the significant role the community plays in the development of the individual.

Now that we know more about the services that the Philippines provide, let’s take a look at one of the highly known and respected doctors it has.

Dr.  Reynaldo M. Caluag, MD

Dr. Caluag is a doctor that specializes in family medicine.

Family medicine (FM), formerly family practice (FP), is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages; the specialist is named a family physician, family doctor, or formerly family practitioner.

 In Europe the discipline is often referred to as general practice and a practitioner as a General Practice Doctor or GP; this name emphasizes the holistic nature of this specialty, as well as its roots in the family. It is a division of primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. It is based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and the community, emphasizing disease prevention and health promotion.

 According to the World Organization of Family Doctors (Wonca), the aim of family medicine is to provide personal, comprehensive and continuing care for the individual in the context of the family and the community. The issues of values underlying this practice are usually known as primary care ethics.

Dr. Caluag says, “The type of specialty dictates the type of your practice. My training is Family Medicine with Obstetric, so I take care of patients the moment they are born till the time they are very old. I provide their primary health care need and provide them with tool and education to maintain their health.”

Dr. Caluag shows us that health is something that we will always carry all throughout our lives.

Conclusion

Health is important because:

• It helps in the attainment of personal ambition
• It favors personal efficiency
• It contributes to an individual's lifespan
• It keeps us living the life we are meant to live
• It teaches us how to take care of ourselves as well as others