ILIPINOS are not just good in singing, dancing, acting, boxing, and representing the country in international sports and contests. Aside from being talented, creative, and strong, Filipinos are also known for being smart and innovative people.
As the national coordinating body for health research, the Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) has continued supporting local programs on health and health research that provide and strengthen healthcare delivery and the healthcare industry of the country.
Five local technologies and innovations on health, supported by DOST-PCHRD, that will make you proud to be a Filipino.
1. Axis Knee System: Developed by Orthopaedic International Inc., the Axis Knee System is the first and only knee system designed in the Asean region which allows access to knee replacement as it is 40-50% cheaper than imported brands. Its innovative instrumentation and surgical technique also allows more surgeons to perform knee surgery without the need to undergo one-year fellowship program.
2. RxBox: A device which captures medical signals through built-in sensors, stores data in an electronic medical record (EMR), and transmits health information via internet. Jointly developed by the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman and Manila, the device reduces unnecessary travels and hospitalizations as it enables diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of patients from geographically isolated and depressed areas of the country.
3. eHATID Developed by Ateneo De Manila University, the eHealth TABLET for Informed Decision Making of LGUs (eHATID LGU) is an android application that provides real time health information and a facility for direct communication between local chief executives and rural health units (RHUs). Works even without internet connection, eHATID provides decision-making support to local government units (LGUs) in creating sound and evidence-based health policies and programs.
4. Biotek-M: A confirmatory test for dengue diagnosis, is as accurate as the currently available Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology yet less costly as it is locally developed. Developed by the UP Manila National Institutes of Health, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, the kit saves resources for both hospital and patients as it allows less admission for dengue-suspected cases.
5. OL Trap: A simple but effective vector control method to lower the population of dengue Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, thus reducing dengue cases and controlling dengue transmission. Developed by DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), OL Trap works by trapping the eggs and larvae of A. aegypti in their laying site with active organic solution and killing them in the process before hatching and going to adult stage.
DOST represents the wide scientific and technological advances the Philippines has made; the main managing agency responsible for science and technology (S&T) with consulting agencies for Forestry, Agriculture and Aquaculture, Metal Industry, Nuclear Research, Food and Nutrition, Health, Meteorological and the Volcalonogy and Seismology in the Philippines, and the various fields of the Life Sciences.
This government office is responsible for the coordination and funding of different researches by Filipino scientists and inventors, which can potentially help the progress of science and technology in the Philippines. There are different agencies under DOST which cater to specialized fields: Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research Development (PCAARRD).
Fortunato Tanseco de la Peña, PhD., is the Secretary of Science and Technology under the current administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Dr. De la Pena is a Filipino engineer, professor and civil servant. The Secretary of Science and Technology is appointed by the president with no fixed term.
For more information on PCHRD-supported technologies, visit www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph.
Source: http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/opinion/dost-pchrd-health