REFLECTIONS : Then and Now
The year is 2025 . It is fair to say that changes occur through the years . What was then , is no longer . With the modern use of the internet , remote areas of the world , once vaguely known , are now reachable by the flick of the finger ( Aha ! That is if you can manipulate your cell phone !). Thus , new knowledge and ideas are propagated with ease for the good of all . Such has happened in all fields of endeavor , including those about health .
Depending on availability of transportation , education and governmental interests , each country ’ s progress in embracing health issues vary .
Witnessed in the Philippines , during World War II : the bark of a quinine tree in the forest saved the lives of a family from malaria . But no longer , for that forest has been cleared and , in its place , thriving barrios ( small towns ) exist . Health centers now teach about sanitation , and proper disposal of human waste , as in the use of toilets . Clean drinking water is piped in from natural sources or wells have been dug to access abundant underground sources .
Due to roads and transportation availability , the people are now able to go to bigger town clinics and hospitals equipped for emergencies or for aesthetic purposes . Caesarian sections or acute
32 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE by TERESITA BACANI-OROPILLA , MD repair of traumatic injuries , once too distant to save lives , are now reachable for many more areas . For instance , a young engineer finally had the courage to court the lady of his dreams after his cleft lip was finally restored to normalcy : and now , it ’ s tough to just keep track of all the doctors in the family !
In the nearby provincial capital city , an internationally approved medical school has opened . Students from India have taken advantage and joined the local students in pursuit of MD degrees as a steppingstone towards specialty training .
It is to be noted that progress usually parallels the need : the more urgent the problem , the quicker the response . We ’ ve seen this happen with illnesses such as polio , tuberculosis , HIV , the flu and COVID-19 . The government has long sponsored malaria control ( mosquito-borne ) and the vaccination of children , which decreased community-spread illnesses . These programs continue to this day .
I note also that throughout these years , government , central and local efforts have been augmented by charitable organizations , religious or otherwise . These continue their missions and delve into areas that need help , mostly in education , nutrition and health .
Much more needs to be done . Progress , although spotty , is going on . We do see progress if we compare what was , to what is , now !
Life goes on ! Dr . Bacani-Oropilla is a retired pediatrician and psychiatrist .