Press Release: HRAP And DOH Join Forces To Ensure Health And Safety Of Hotel & Restaurant Patrons

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) is taking proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of guests and customers amidst the growing concern over the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019-nCoV ARD).

Last February 11, 2020, HRAP President Atty. Eugene T. Yap hosted an orientation on the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the Giordino Room of the Bayview Park Hotel Manila, of which he is also the general manager. Members of the HRAP were invited to listen to Department of Health (DOH) representatives Dr. Carmela Granada of the Department of Health (DOH) Disease Prevention and Control Service and Director Faith Albertos, Head of Health Communication Service as they provided basic facts and latest updates about the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), basic personal care and prevention, and to discuss the contents of the Interim Guidelines for  Response in Hotels and other Similar Establishments (Department Memorandum 2020-0057) recently issued by the DOH.

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“It’s Not You, It’s Your Thyroid” : Merck steps up awareness campaign against thyroid diseases

Hello Sweeties!

A few years ago, I started feeling poorly, I had tremors, I was losing weight fast, I could’t sleep and I had a very short temper, to the point that I would have outburst in front or targeted to my children.  It was very scary. I have an aversion to hospitals perhaps because as a young child I was confined for days at a hospital where doctors made fun of the chatty 5 years old, that is a story for another day.  I finally found the courage to go to an EENT and he discovered that I had hyperthyroidism.  The first few days of not knowing what was going on with my body and personality was scary but I am glad I now know what is going on.

In time for the International Thyroid Awareness Week (ITAW) 2017, leading science and healthcare innovation company Merck, joined forces with the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Thyroid Association (PTA), Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (PSEDM), and the Iodine Global Network (IGN), to raise consciousness against thyroid disorders.

You and your thyroid
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland that sits in at the lower front of the neck. It plays a key role in one’s overall health and well-being by producing thyroid hormones that help keep the body use energy, stay warm, and keep the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs in tip-top condition.

Thyroid disorders are some of the most common diseases worldwide. In the Philippines, one in every 11 adults suffers from goiter or other thyroid disorders.

Thyroid problems are more common in women. Figures show that women are four to seven times more likely to have thyroid disorders than men. They are also at risk of hypothyroidism by 10 times. Moreover, women who recently gave birth and those who are in the menopausal stage are more vulnerable.

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