College of PT Hosts fora for a week

All in a week’s work! As part of the 31st National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week, the College of Physical Therapy and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation conducted three free lay fora featuring different guest speakers.

May Diabetes Ako

On July 14, a talk on diabetes was held at the College of Physical Therapy – Clinic and Training Center. The guest speaker, endocrinologist Dr. Juan Marie Ibarra Co talked about the problems of living life as a diabetic. For the people who attended there was also a free Diabetes Screening (random blood sugar screening) and ECG sponsored by PharmaLink from 1:00- 4:00 pm. Patients from out patient department, UERMMMCI employees, physical therapy and nursing students attended the above mentioned event.

At 3:00 p.m., Dr. Geoffrey Battad rounded up the afternoon with a talk on Osteoarthritis. Talking smoothly, yet very easily understood, he gamely answered questions from the patients. The forum was sponsored by Rotapharma, makers of Viartril and was hosted by Ms. Grace Viguilla, faculty of the College of PT.

Dr. Juan Marie Ibarra Co is an alumnus of the College of PT who graduated from batch 1998 and is presently the Chief of Endocrinology section, Department of Internal Medicine of UERMMMCI. Dr. Geoffrey Battad is an alumnus of the College of Medicine from 1982. He is an orthopedic surgeon aside from being the head of Total Quality Management.
Diet and Osteoporosis

It couldn’t get any closer than this when the lay forums were held in the Out Patient Department. Dr. Dorothy D. Agsaoay talked about Osteoporosis from the medical perspective before Ms. Jemma De Leon talked about the link between diet and bone health. Both speakers are highly qualified; Dr. Agsaoay being the Director of the College of PT – Clinic and Training Center while Ms. De Leon is the Chief Dietitian of the Dietary Department.

There was also a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening at the OPD lobby where people were tested using data from their wrist bones. It was very popular and the event as a whole was geared towards increasing awareness towards prevention of osteoporosis. The event was sponsored by MSD, makers of Fosamax. CTC Clinical Supervisor Mr. Norberto Cruz, PTRP was the event’s emcee.

By: Esther Melody Nicolas, PTRP