The proposed establishment of a Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in the Visayas to be located in Bohol resurfaced following the death of a 3-year old child in Loon after getting bitten by a king cobra.
Cong. Edgar Chatto, in media interview on Friday, October 18, said this has been one of major concerns dealt with early on.
He pushed for the availability of anti-venom at the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center.
The first district solon also confirmed that Gallares had available anti-venom immediately after reading the reports on social media.
He said that he reached out to Gallares which assured him that the vaccine was available however the patient had already been declared dead by the time of arrival at the hospital.
“It is really important that immediate and appropriate medical attention is provided after a venomous snake bite,” he said.
Chatto explained that he authored House Bill 9291 to make the services of the RITM closer to the Visayas region.
According to him, the unpreparedness of regional centers became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic when there was urgent need for testing and vaccines.
In addition, snake bites needing anti-venom still need transport from RITM in Manila.
Cases of deaths due to lack of anti venom drugs have been reported in the past.
The proposed measure has been approved by the House Committee on Health.
Testing, referrals and instructions must be prompt in order to improve response and management of contagious and tropical diseases, Chatto stated.
RITM is designated as the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for dengue, influenza, enteroviruses, measles and other viral exanthems, polio, tuberculosis and other mycobacteria, bacterial enteric diseases, mycology, emerging diseases, malaria and other parasites.
It is also the confirmatory testing laboratory of blood donor units for the National Voluntary Blood Services Program; the coordinating center for antimicrobial resistance surveillance; a provider of the National External Quality Assurance for Bacteriology, Parasitology and Mycobacteriology; and is recognized by the World Health Organization as a National Influenza Center.
Chatto emphasized that similar cases are to be anticipated in the future and this merits the urgency to put up RITM in Bohol.
This complements the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center as the “Apex” tertiary care facility of the Bohol Provincewide Health System (PWHS).
It also augurs well with the proposed Bohol Island State University College of Veterinary Medicine that is also needed in RITM research.