A PROPOSED TWO-TRACK FELLOWSHIP TRAINING IN OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
BY: PERLA S. MACARAEG
The new millennium, characterized by rapid industrialization, urbanization, environmental degradation, natural and man-made disasters, and newly emerging diseases affecting the working population and communities, is full of challenges which have to be addressed by policy makers of concerned government and non-government institutions. As of the present however, no formal specialty training program in Occupational and Environmental medicine is being offered by any institution here in the Philippines.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) is perhaps the most comprehensive of all medical specialties. It is devoted to the prevention and management of occupational and environmental injury, illness and disability, as well as the promotion of health and productivity of workers, their families and communities.
OEM is a discipline to pursue especially in a developing country like the Philippines, wherein a considerable number of workers and theirs families reside in agricultural and mining communities, and therefore exposed to various occupational and environmental hazards. This discipline offers unlimited challenges for the modern physician who is confronted with diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas resulting from diseases and/or injuries with underlying work or environment related problems. As an example, there is cause for concern if Silicotuberculosis is managed as a mere case of Multiple Drug resistant TB due to failure in identifying the underlying Silicosis which is an occupational disease. Similarly, results of epidemiologic studies in mining communities in the Philippines revealed that underlying Heavy Metal Poisoning could be a risk factor for developing Drug resistant Malaria. These are but a few instances that can indeed put a test the expertise of any medical practitioner.
The new millennium, characterized by rapid industrialization, urbanization, environmental degradation, natural and man-made disasters, and newly emerging diseases affecting the working population and communities, is full of challenges which have to be addressed by policy makers of concerned government and non-government institutions. As of the present however, no formal specialty training program in Occupational and Environmental medicine is being offered by any institution here in the Philippines.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) is perhaps the most comprehensive of all medical specialties. It is devoted to the prevention and management of occupational and environmental injury, illness and disability, as well as the promotion of health and productivity of workers, their families and communities.
OEM is a discipline to pursue especially in a developing country like the Philippines, wherein a considerable number of workers and theirs families reside in agricultural and mining communities, and therefore exposed to various occupational and environmental hazards. This discipline offers unlimited challenges for the modern physician who is confronted with diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas resulting from diseases and/or injuries with underlying work or environment related problems. As an example, there is cause for concern if Silicotuberculosis is managed as a mere case of Multiple Drug resistant TB due to failure in identifying the underlying Silicosis which is an occupational disease. Similarly, results of epidemiologic studies in mining communities in the Philippines revealed that underlying Heavy Metal Poisoning could be a risk factor for developing Drug resistant Malaria. These are but a few instances that can indeed put a test the expertise of any medical practitioner.