MEDICAL WOMEN’S FEDERATION
Tavistock House North, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX
Tel: 020 7387 7765 email: admin.mwf@btconnect.com
www.medicalwomensfederation.org.uk
@medicalwomenuk
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Name
Rebecca Jameson
Email
Project title
Infectious and tropical disease in the Philippines: investigating
the emerging epidemic
Location of your Elective
Western Visayas Medical Center, Iloilo City, The Philippines
Contact details for your elective (eg. Website
address or email address of your project coordinator)
Dr T R Dessoffy
University of Leeds
Worsley Building
Clarendon Way
Leeds LS2 9NL
T: 0113 3436586
During the elective I was able to achieve the following:
What did you achieve?

Recognise the symptoms and signs of infectious diseases
such as HIV, TB, Dengue Fever, Typhoid Fever,
Leptospirosis, Rabies and Tetanus.

Understand the pathogenesis, investigations, diagnosis,
management and complications of these diseases.

Enhance my ability to care for the critically ill patient.

Enhance my clinical skills and data interpretation skills.
This includes suturing, cannulation, NG tube insertion,
catheterisation, blood taking and CPR. I was able gain
experience interpreting ECGs, X-rays and blood results.

Experience the diversity of a different healthcare system,

Understand the precipitants of disease outbreak, such as
natural disaster and reasons for multi-drug resistance

Understand preventative measures and strategies for disease
elimination, such as the WHO STOP TB campaign, and to
evaluate their effectiveness.

Understand the attitudes of healthcare workers, patients and
the public towards communicable and infectious diseases.

Understand the effects of stigmatisation upon patients who
have HIV.

To understand attitudes towards HIV prevention and
treatment in the context of current political and religious
beliefs. The
MEDICAL WOMEN’S FEDERATION
Tavistock House North, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX
Tel: 020 7387 7765 email: admin.mwf@btconnect.com
www.medicalwomensfederation.org.uk
@medicalwomenuk
www.facebook.com/MedWomen
Would you recommend this location / project
to others?
Yes, you will see tropical diseases that do not present in the UK and
severe presentations of disease. The placement enabled me to
enhance my clinical skills and ability to interpret investigations.
Further comments (eg. Travel advice, tips for
organising an elective similar to this etc.)
Going to a government hospital was an eye opening experience.
Often cases are shocking to witness and so be prepared for this. I
travelled through work the world and this organisation has strong
links with the hospital and staff.
Would you be happy for you feedback form to
be available on our website?
Further comments (eg. A review of your trip)
max. 500 words.
Yes without email address
The six week placement took place in emergency and internal
medicine at Western Visayas State University Medical Centre,
Iloilo City, Philippines. Western Visayas Medical Centre is a
government funded tertiary hospital with a 425 bed capacity. The
hospital serves almost four million patients within Panay Island and
beyond, receiving referrals from district hospitals in the region.
During my elective I saw a variety of complex and often shocking
cases. The most common emergency admissions were due to road
traffic accidents. These trauma cases often involved severe head
injury with brain contusions alongside subdural and subarachnoid
haemorrhages. Flail chest, tension pneumothorax and open chest
wounds were also seen alongside gunshot wounds to the abdomen
and head. Haemorrhagic stroke was another surprisingly common
cause of admission in association with undiagnosed and
uncontrolled hypertension.
During the placement I was able to greatly enhance my clinical
skills of cannulation, phlebotomy, injections, catheterisation,
nasogastric tube insertion and suturing. I was able to interpret a
variety of CT scans and X-rays indicating pathology. Unfortunately,
due to the severity of cases and the lack of intensive and good
quality medical care, I carried out CPR numerous times. In addition
I carried out work in paediatric accident and emergency. I was
shocked to witness the death of a seven year old girl due Dengue
fever, whereby internal haemorrhaging lead to severe shock.
Furthermore, I was able to witness the care of HIV/AIDS patients.
Currently Western Visayas Hospital is one of the 19 HIV treatment
hubs in the Philippines which offers free antiretroviral therapy. This
is a stark contrast to the UK, whereby HIV patients are managed at
a primary, secondary and tertiary care level and throughout the
country. Patients receive anonymity on consultation and this is
continued when they are admitted. The HACT (HIV and AIDs Core
Team) provide diagnostic testing, counselling and monitoring of
HIV positive patients. I visited the AIDS isolation area within the
MEDICAL WOMEN’S FEDERATION
Tavistock House North, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HX
Tel: 020 7387 7765 email: admin.mwf@btconnect.com
www.medicalwomensfederation.org.uk
@medicalwomenuk
www.facebook.com/MedWomen
hospital which consisted of one small room with three beds for
AIDS patients. All AIDs patients were suffering from TB and AIDs
defining illnesses such as PCP, CMV and toxoplasmosis. Such
patients were extremely susceptible to infections, due to their close
proximity to other AIDs patients, their extremely low CD4 counts
and attendance by doctors from the infectious disease wards.
Overall the elective met my aims and objectives; from a clinical
perspective I was able to harness new skills and practice previously
acquired skills. I witnessed the presentation of dengue fever, TB,
leptospirosis, tetanus and AIDS and I was able to learn of the
progression, diagnosis and management of such cases. I was able to
understand the treatment of HIV/AIDS within the Philippines and
the attitudes of staff towards the condition and the public health
campaigns in place.