PHILIPPINE MEDICAL TOURISM PROGRAM

Goal:

1. The local Global Health Care industry will contribute a noticeable and quantifiable
amount to the Philippine economy and improvement in the quality of life.

2. Increase the number of institutions offering advanced medical services suitable for
Global HealthCare, the generation of jobs in the Medical Services industry and other
related industries, thereby increasing the productivity of the workforce and enabling it to
expand and upgrade.

3. Attract increased numbers of visitors from other countries availing of medical services
and at the same time ensure that quality of those currently offering services suitable for
Global Health Care is on the same level as with globally-recognized standards, and
making these services equitably available for both Medical Travelers and local patients

Objectives:

1. To increase competitiveness by compliance to recognized bodies that implement

national and international healthcare organization accreditation

2. Institutionalize policies and enact legislation for high level quality healthcare and patient
safety standards in all health facilities

3. Continue collaboration with national government agencies, LGUs, private sector

organizations and academe involved in quality healthcare and patient safety, international
medical travel and wellness services, retirement, trade and tourism

4. Continue advocacy in all regions of the country on quality healthcare and patient safety,
international medical travel and wellness services, retirement, trade and tourism through
quad media approach, capacity building activities and collaborative participation in
international forum and conferences

https://www.doh.gov.ph/philippine-medical-tourism-program

 Intellectual disability refers to a group of disorders characterized by a limited mental

capacity and difficulty with adaptive behaviors such as managing money, schedules and
routines, or social interactions. Intellectual disability originates before the age of 18 and
may result from physical causes, such as autism or cerebral palsy, or from nonphysical
causes, such as lack of stimulation and adult responsiveness.
 Developmental disability is a severe, long term disability that can affect cognitive
ability, physical functioning, or both. These disabilities appear before age 22 and are
likely to be life-long. The term “developmental disability” encompasses intellectual
disability but also includes physical disabilities. Some developmental disabilities may be
solely physical, such as blindness from birth. Others involve both physical and
intellectual disabilities stemming from genetic or other causes, such as Down syndrome
and fetal alcohol syndrome.

YESTERDAY

 Historically, people with intellectual disabilities did not live as long as others and were at
increased risk for health problems. Children often died because their condition could not
be diagnosed. It was common for people with intellectual disabilities to be
institutionalized, and treatments were either nonexistent, ineffective, or harmful.

 Until the 1960s, screening methods to test newborns for many developmental
disabilities were not yet available.

 For example, in the mid 1970s, more than 1,000 U.S. children each year acquired an
intellectual disability shortly after birth because of hypothyroidism—the body’s failure to
produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone, essential for normal brain development.
Although the hormone could be supplied artificially, the condition typically went
undiagnosed until after permanent brain damage had occurred.

 A large study funded by NIH in the early 1970s showed that hypothyroidism could be
easily detected, and treated within two weeks after birth, before any brain damage
resulted. Soon, every state required thyroid hormone screening. Each year in the United
States, roughly 1,000 cases of intellectual disability due to insufficient thyroid hormone
are prevented.

 In the 1970s, Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib), a bacterial disease that causes
meningitis, was the leading cause of acquired intellectual disability. No means existed to
prevent infection from Hib, which most often struck children from 6 months to 2 years
old. On average, 1 in 10 infected children died from Hib meningitis, 1 in 3 became deaf,
and 1 in 3 was left with an intellectual disability.

 Researchers at NIH developed a vaccine for Hib. Their work has virtually eliminated
Hib meningitis from the developed world.

 Intellectual disability also can be acquired from environmental exposure. It was not
known in the early 1970s that exposure to even small amounts of lead in the
environment could have an adverse effect on the developing brain. At the time, more
than 10 million children had blood lead levels high enough to affect their cognitive
functioning. NIH-funded research linking elevated lead levels to lower intelligence test
scores led to federal laws banning lead as an ingredient in paint and as an additive in
gasoline, which reduced the chances that children would be exposed to this toxic metal.
 TODAY

 Testing for thyroid hormone is one example among dozens of screening tests to
identify and treat babies at risk of a congenital disorder. In 2000, 35 percent of states
screened for fewer than five conditions; by 2009, 49 states screened for 21 conditions
or more.

 NIH supported researchers have shown that therapy and training techniques that focus
on communication and behavior can be effective tools for people living with intellectual
disabilities. In the first scientific evaluation of a behavioral therapy for toddlers with
autism spectrum disorders, researchers compared two groups of children 18 to 30
months old. One received intensive, therapy emphasizing interaction and language
skills, the other group received therapy available at community care centers. After two
years, children in the intensive intervention group had increased their IQ scores by 17
points, compared with 7 in the other group; they were also less likely to be diagnosed
with autism on reassessment.

TOMORROW

 The NIH is supporting the development of new technologies for newborn screening. The
goals are to develop fast, reliable, and cost-effective means to screen newborns and to
expand the number of conditions these tests can assess. Such screening makes it
possible to begin treatment early, when chances for success are greatest.

 Research into the causes and early diagnosis of intellectual disabilities is a priority
of the NIH-sponsored Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities Research Centers
( https://www.nichd.nih.gov/research/supported/eksiddrc.cfm ). Researchers affiliated
with these centers conduct studies to better understand the causes of such disorders
and to pursue new avenues for treatment. Investigators at one center, for example,
identified a source of adult stem cells in the brain. Such cells, which can develop new
tissue, could one day be used to delay or prevent developmental diseases.

 Health disparities in survival and access to care are another priority for NIH research.
People from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to receive screening services,
diagnostic evaluations, or treatment interventions. Future studies will seek to identify
factors that contribute to these disparities and develop new approaches that ensure
equal access to early screening, therapeutic services, and treatment.

 Fragile X syndrome affects one in 2,500 births, resulting in intellectual disability, sleep
problems, attention deficit disorder, aggression, and compulsive behavior. NIH-funded
scientists working with mice having the same genetic mutation found in Fragile X
syndrome learned that the mice have increased activity in the metabotropic glutamate
 receptor (mGluR), which sits atop brain cells. Researchers hope that drugs that block
the mGluR receptor might one day be used to lessen the disorder’s effects in humans.
Advances in screening for this disorder also may one day give doctors a cheaper, more
precise test for diagnosing the condition.

 Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy—loss of blood or oxygen to an infant’s brain during

birth— may lead to brain damage or death. Researchers supported by the NIH
discovered that lowering a baby’s body temperature in the first six hours of life could
help prevent disability. NIH is supporting studies to learn how best to use this new
technique so that it soon may be used routinely.

 Duchenne muscular dystrophy occurs in about 1 in every 3,500 males. Symptoms

include muscle weakness and difficulty walking and talking. Death usually occurs by
age 20. In dogs with a canine form of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, researchers used
DNA-like molecules called morpholinos to cover up the genetic error that causes the
disease. The treatment restored functioning to the skeletal muscles, but was unable to
prevent deterioration of the animals’ hearts. Researchers are now seeking more
effective ways to deliver the treatment to the heart.

https://report.nih.gov/NIHfactsheets/ViewFactsheet.aspx?csid=100
Medical resorts

Medical resorts tend to be facilities that offer short-term medical care or treatment after
a patient has been discharged from a hospital. Though oriented toward convalescence,
the setting often offers the ambience of an upscale extended-stay hotel or resort.

Many medical resorts and health spas have beautiful restaurants like this one at the
Pritikin Health Resort in Miami.
Medical resorts are usually for patients who no longer require hospitalization but are not
yet ready to return home. Services often offered include 24-hour nursing care, stroke
rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and recuperation after surgeries.
Med spas

Some med spas are in resort settings. Some are day spas. For both, the focus is
beauty.

In addition to traditional spa services like facials and massages, med spas usually offer
cosmetic medical services like botox injections, lasers, collagen injections, and intense
pulsed light technology.

Do be careful. Many procedures at med spas are medical treatments, and should be
performed by licensed medical/health professionals only.

To better understand what you need to know before signing up for med spa procedures,
read these simple, well-written guidelines provided by the Medical Board of California,
Department of Consumer Affairs. For residents of all 50 states, they provide solid
general advice.
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa

For more than 35 years, the Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa in Miami, Florida, has stood
out as a compelling combination of medical resort and med spa. It takes the best
elements of both and creates “something infinitely better,” says Pritikin resort
guest Mario Montalvo.
Healthy lifestyle education

Typically, people attend the Pritikin Longevity Center not for cosmetic treatments or
convalescent care, per se, but for healthy lifestyle education that sets them up for
optimal health when they return home. The focus is prevention and control of common
cardiovascular-related conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and
overweight/obesity.

Says cardiologist Ronald Scheib, MD, Pritikin’s Medical Director and former Chief of
Section of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Miami Heart Institute: “Our mission is to lead
people back to health and vitality, and to give them real-world tools that will help them
stay healthy long after they’ve left.”
 Anti-aging inside and out

Guests at Pritikin also appreciate the natural beauty that emanates from overall good
health, notes facial surgeon and Pritikin devotee William Friedman, MD. FACS, of St.
Louis, Missouri, author of more than 100 scientific publications.

“There’s a certain aura of a healthy person that is very attractive,” observes Dr.
Friedman. “There’s no better place to find that glow than Pritikin.”

Med spa treatments

For Pritikin guests wanting med spa-style cosmetic therapies, the Center’s spa offers a
full array of treatments, plus the services of a leading skin care specialist and physician
board certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

A healthier you, scientifically

But what really distinguishes Pritikin from other health resorts are its evidence-based
results, published in more than 100 studies in leading peer-reviewed journals. Within
two to three weeks, the Pritikin Program was proven to:
 Reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol on average 23%1
 Reduce triglycerides 33%2
 Lower markers of chronic inflammation 39 to 45%3
 Reverse the Metabolic Syndrome (a pre-diabetic condition) among 37 to 60% of adults4
 Reduce blood pressure to normal levels and eliminate or reduce the need for blood
pressure pills among the majority of hypertensives5
 Lower blood glucose levels to normal levels and eliminate or reduce oral drug usage
among nearly three-quarters of Type 2 diabetics6
 Shed 11 pounds on average among men, and 7 pounds among women 7
 Enhance effectiveness of statin medications8
Medicare

So strong is Pritikin’s scientific integrity that it is the one health resort in America
with heart-health education and exercise programs that are covered by Medicare.
 Paradise retreat

Located in Miami, Florida, Pritikin’s health institute is surrounded by 650 acres of lush
tropical gardens, swimming pools, tennis courts, a world-class spa featuring 32
treatment rooms and 100+ skin and body therapies, and five PGA championship golf
courses.

An all-inclusive Pritikin Longevity Center stay includes:

 PREMIER PHYSICIAN CARE

Six board-certified physicians are on staff at Pritikin with specialties that include
cardiology and endocrinology. Each guest receives about 2-½ hours of individual
medical counseling, beginning with medical health/fitness testing followed by personal
consults to track progress. Key medical services include:

Comprehensive health and fitness assessment and consultation that involves thorough
analysis of health goals, dietary analysis, and weight-loss planning.

Entry and exit blood panels, including cholesterol, inflammatory markers like C-reactive
protein, triglycerides, insulin, and blood glucose.

Cardiometabolic stress test for a customized exercise prescription.

Additional physician consultations to closely track fitness gains, weight loss, medication
dosages/reductions, and overall health progress.

 HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

Pritikin’s 123 rooms and suites are spacious (437 to 1,000+ square feet) and feature
new spa décor, marble-appointed bathrooms, Internet access, and private balconies
that make the most of golf course and garden views.

 HEALTHY GOURMET DINING

 Five nutritious gourmet meals and snacks are served daily. Guests enjoy local season-
fresh foods such as tropical fruit, exquisitely prepared vegetables, and made-fresh-daily
soups, as well as entrees like grilled bison, pasta primavera, and seared salmon, and
desserts like chocolate mousse.

“The food tastes great, and that’s saying something from a steakhouse guy like me.”
John Timothy Gannon, Co-founder, Outback Steakhouse Restaurants, and frequent
Pritikin guest
 HEALTHY FOOD WORKSHOPS

Pritikin’s award-winning chefs teach topics such as Eating On the Go, Breakfast Tips,
Lunch In Minutes, Gourmet Entertaining, and Delish Desserts.

 CUSTOMIZED FITNESS PROGRAM

University-degreed exercise physiologists lead workouts emphasizing Pritikin’s core

program of cardio/fat burning, strength training, and flexibility, plus electives such as
aqua-aerobics, spinning, yoga, Zumba dancing, and more.

“The results come fast.”

Prevention Magazine.
 EDUCATION IN HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHANGE

Guests attend 3 to 5 seminars daily led by Pritikin’s faculty of 30+ physicians,

nutritionists, psychologists, and exercise physiologists. Classes include: Revitalizing
Your Heart, Healthy Restaurant Dining, The Calorie Density Solution, Mindful Eating,
Managing Stress, Reversing Diabetes, Sexuality and Intimacy, and Lifelong Healthy
Habits.

https://www.pritikin.com/your-health/healthy-living/health-resorts-weight-loss-spas/1765-
medical-resorts-and-med-spas.html
The Heaven on Earth Cultural Theme Park contains five zones, each with its own
unique tale about the remarkable culture and natural beauty of the Guangxi region. The
zones include concentrated areas in ethnic culture and crafts, minority tales and
legends, ancient cultural symbols, natural water based-scenery showcasing the
livelihood between “Heaven and Earth,” and, finally, traditional music and festivals.

During their visit, guests will enjoy learning about the local people, hearing their songs,
being thrilled by their tales of ancient peoples, and understanding how these
experiences shapes parts of the Guangxi they see today. Additionally, guests will
experience a microcosm of the area’s natural beauty, characterized by cooling
waterfalls, lazy river rides, and soaring mountain views. In the midst of the park, stone
animals come to life, thrilling adventure rides bring adventurers back to the ancient days
of Zengpi, and a fantasy bridge reawakens one’s belief in magic. There are local crafts
for purchase, songs to sing, and traditional food and drink to enjoy and share.

https://www.cuningham.com/portfolio/cultural-theme-park-2/