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11 PDS Bigay Puso
th

by Dr. Nelizza Jiao, FPDS and Dr. Katrina Rose G. Baluyot

ebruary 21, 2019 may have been a in 4 infirmary wards. They welcomed
week from Valentine’s day but still the visit of the PDS members with much
Fthe love for our brethren at the Jose anticipation and were visibly overjoyed in
N. Rodriguez Medical Center, formerly seeing their annual visitors. Dr. Frederica
known as Tala leprosarium, still flowed Veronica Marquez-Protacio, chair of the
out. Now on its 11 th year, Bigay Puso is Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital,
a project conceived by Dr. Ma. Teresita Department of Dermatology, introduced
G. Gabriel which aims to uplift the us to the department staff and presented
spirits of leprosy patients at the medical their programs.
centre. The PDS board, members of
the Leprosy Subspecialty Core Group, PDS members were also given a tour of the
consultants and residents from various Gracing the event were the following, Dr. hospital which included facilities for the
accredited institutions eagerly and actively Ma. Purita Paz-Lao, PDS President, Dr. Ma. care of Leprosy patients , a demonstration
participated in the said event. Teresita G. Gabriel, Head of the Leprosy of slit skin smear preparation and a
Subspecialty Core Group, and Dr. Nelizza showcase of the patients’ livelihood
Every year these patients receive gift Beatriz Viray-Jiao, Head of PDS Outreach program, floor rag making.
bags which include slippers, towels, Committee, PDS Officers, Board of
toothbrushes, and shirts . Fresh fruits were Directors, and Immediate Past President, We are happy to see a lot of improvement
also given to nourish and supplement their Dr. Ma. Angela Lavadia. in the medical center and much more
bodies. They now number 59, much lower happy to note that our PDS colleagues
than the 70s that we were accustomed Fifty one custodial patients who were are at the helm of dermatology training
to. It was reflective of the goals of leprosy either abandoned by their relatives or here.
elimination being reached. have no other place to stay were housed

From left to right: Drs. Claudine Rae L. Javier, Cecilia R. Rosete,
Mary Charmaine G. Castillo, Nelizza Beatriz Viray-Jiao,
Ma. Purita Paz-Lao, Ma. Teresita G. Gabriel, Lonabel A.
Encarnacion, Ma. Luisa Abad-Venida, Ma. Angela Lavadia,
Francisco D. Rivera IV and Camille B. Angeles PDS Bigay-Puso Team 2019 with PDS members and residents at at Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital

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