“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.”—Sir Winston Churchill
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In the course of the extensive four-hour hearing regarding the contentious transfer of P89.9 billion in surplus reserve funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the national treasury for unprogrammed appropriations, Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier emphasized that the funds belonging to PhilHealth must be utilized solely for its designated programs and should not be redirected for unrelated uses.
“Reserve funds, as it is named, (are) reserved and cannot be subject to the discretion of PhilHealth to be used for another purpose,” she emphasized.
Why am I citing the said proceeding here. It’s because it concerns us all. Our health is at stake. No one is immune to diseases. Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, beautiful and ugly, famous or notorious, bad or good, you are bound to get sick.
“Medicine is the only profession that labors incessantly to destroy the reason for its existence,” says James Bryce. “There are no such things as incurables,” argues Bernard M. Baruch. “There are only things for which man has not found a cure.”
“It should be the function of medicine to have people die young as late as possible,” surmises Dr. Ernest L. Wynder. And Voltaire contends, “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.”
Hippocrates is touted to be “the Father of Medicine.” In fact, medical doctors take the oath he wrote some 2,500 years ago. In the fifth century, most people thought illness was a result of evil spirits. Unlike other healers of his time, he treated patients based on scientific evidence.
His beliefs and discoveries encompass several key principles: the necessity of moderation in all aspects of life—such as work, diet, hydration, physical activity, and rest—to avert illness; the application of fasting and dietary regimens for bodily purification; the benefits of warm baths and massage for health maintenance; the significance of fresh air and a nutritious diet; and the risks associated with excessive weight. He famously stated, “Let medicine be thy food, and food be thy medicine.”
Among his notable innovations were the practice of auscultation by placing his ear against patients’ chests to assess lung function; the realignment of fractures; the reduction of dislocations; and the drainage of pus from infected areas. While these methods may seem elementary by contemporary standards, they were revolutionary around 400 B.C. Hippocrates embraced a holistic approach to healing long before it became fashionable.
If Hippocrates is regarded as “the father of medicine,” who deserves recognition for popularizing nursing as a profession today? You might mention Florence Nightingale. However, it is important to note that she did not create nursing; rather, she established it as a safe and respected career for women. Historically, female nurses in British hospitals were predominantly Roman Catholic nuns or women of ill repute.
It is noteworthy that her father opposed her aspiration to pursue nursing, yet she remained resolute. Among her significant contributions were the introduction of hot water systems to all floors, the implementation of dumbwaiters for delivering food to patients, and the provision of bells for patients to summon nurses. Her concise publication, Notes on Nursing, released in 1861, became a bestseller, selling millions of copies.
Despite her widespread fame, she showed little interest in the trappings of celebrity. She declined requests for photographs and interviews and refrained from attending public events, even those held in her honor. In fact, many believed she had passed away long before her actual death.
The term “pasteurized” found on your milk carton does not imply that the cows were raised in a pasture. In fact, it is derived from the name of Louis Pasteur, who developed the pasteurization process. The process ensures that disease-causing bacteria are not transmitted from milk-producing animals, such as cows, carabaos, or goats, to humans consuming the milk.
Pasteur was instrumental in the field of immunization. Many diseases arise from the presence of harmful microorganisms. When the body’s natural defense system, composed of antibodies, is unable to eliminate these invaders, it poses a significant risk.
Pasteur proposed the idea of bolstering the immune response by encouraging the proliferation of antibodies. This theoretical approach is precisely what immunization aims to achieve, thereby preventing the onset of diseases.
“There is wisdom in this beyond the rules of physics,” Francis Bacon once said. “A man’s own observation, what he finds good and what he finds hurt of, is the best physic to preserve health.”
But when it comes to bills, doctors have a bad reputation. Earl Wilson observed, “You may not be able to read a doctor’s handwriting and prescription, but you’ll notice his bills are neatly typewritten.”
To which Bob Orben added, “If you consider what doctors charge, the most precious stones are not diamonds and emeralds – they’re gall and kidney.”
To end this piece, allow me to share an anecdote written by John Williams: A young man pumped the doctor’s hand enthusiastically. “Doctor, I just dropped by to tell you how much I benefited from your treatment.”
The puzzled doctor said, “I don’t seem to remember you. You’re not one of my patients, are you?”
The young man replied, “No, I’m not. But my uncle was, and I’m his heir.”
