Press Release
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-Northern Mindanao today (July 3, 2014) received the official laboratory result of the samples from confiscated Sehat Badan earlier this year.
The FDA-Central Office found that Sehat Badan tested positive for the presence of diclofenac sodium, ibuprofen and paracetamol.
Earlier this year, an advisory from FDA Acting Director General Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go warned the public not to use Sehat Bedan, an unregistered food supplement aggressively sold online, grocery stores, malls and street vendors which was found to have drug content and ordered Food and Drug Regulations Officers nationwide to confiscate all items found in the market or in the possession of individuals.
The FDA-Central Office found that Sehat Badan tested positive for the presence of diclofenac sodium, ibuprofen and paracetamol.
FDA advisory 2014-006 dated January 15, 2014 made it clear that Sehat Badan could no longer be sold in the market for a number of violations. First, it found that the product has no English translation in the label in violation of Administrative Order 88-B. Series of 1984 (DOH-BFAD). Second, Sehat Badan is being marketed as a herbal drink that promotes and enhance general well-being and treat various diseases such asthma, urinary stones, allergy, impotence, rheumatism, toothache and ulcer. The above claims are not approved by FDA.
Last May 14, this year FDA Regional Office 10 confiscated 1,092 boxes, 67 packs and 17 sachets of Sehat Badan in the market in response to the order and submitted samples for testing. This is after consumers alerted authorities of the presence of this product without proper labeling and with absurd therapeutic claims.
More confiscation will be conducted anytime by FDA authorities in the region after the result was released today.
FDA Field Office 10 Officer-In-Charge Ms. Juliet Bingona led the confiscation of Sehat Badan, a banned food supplement found to have drug content.
Ms. Bingona in one of her inspection sorties at the Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de Oro City.
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Cagayan de Oro City: The Department of Health Regional Office X today (April 23, 2014) confirmed that the four (4) passengers of Etihad Airways 424 from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates who arrived in Northern Mindanao last week tested negative for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome – Corona Virus (MERS-COV). They were discharged from the isolation rooms at the designated hospitals.
The office is still awaiting the result of test on another one who is still on isolation in a government hospital.
It can be recalled last week that a Filipino has boarded Etihad Flight 424 from Abu Dhabi with a positive result on MERS-COV which possibly endangered the other passengers aboard who have close contact. The said passenger however tested negative upon screening by the Department of Health on arrival.
The five (5) passengers bound for Northern Mindanao who were ordered isolated by DOH was traced immediately last week (Holy Week) after the DOH-Regional Office X responded quickly to avert a possible spread of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-COV).
Through the Regional Epidemiology, Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit (RESDRU), DOH-RO X traced the five (5) passengers bound for Northern Mindanao and effectively isolated in government hospitals. Samples were sent immediately to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) for testing with the result coming in late yesterday (April 22) after forty eight (48) hours.
MERS-COV is viral respiratory illness first reported in Saudi Arabia in April 2012. Most people who have been confirmed to have MeRS-CoV infection developed severe acute respiratory illness. So far there have been Two Hundred Forty Three (243) confirm cases in eleven (11) countries with Ninety Three (93) deaths or a case fatality rate of Thirty Eight (38) percent.
The mode of transmission is through close person-to-person contact via airborne droplets when coughing or sneezing. Incubation period is ten (10) to fourteen (14) days.
Health authorities though are positive that we can contain the virus through the tested preventive measures such frequent hand washing, proper cough manners and avoiding contacts with those with history of travel to and from the affected countries.
Regional Director
