Santo Domingo.- The healthcare sector in Santiago, Dominican Republic, is experiencing a significant transformation, thanks to the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Leading health institutions, such as the Clínica Unión Médica del Norte and the Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS), have embraced AI to enhance diagnostics, precision in medical interventions, and overall patient care.

A recent visit by a team from Listín Diario, led by its director Miguel Franjul, provided insights into how AI is revolutionizing these medical facilities, making them not only critical healthcare providers for the 14 provinces of Cibao but also attracting patients from the Caribbean islands.

AI has enabled these healthcare centers to achieve more accurate diagnoses and precision in treatments, but its advantages extend beyond. The integration of AI has significantly reduced patient waiting times, lowered risks, accelerated recovery, and facilitated a smoother return to routine life.

Clínica Unión Médica del Norte, spanning nearly 50,000 square meters and equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging tools featuring AI, boasts the ability for AI-enhanced diagnostic imaging and surgical procedures. These innovations ensure better results, shorter waiting times, and higher-quality healthcare. The inclusion of AI covers administrative, healthcare, imaging, and customer service areas, enabling patients to access self-services such as appointments and online authorizations.

Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS) is a pioneer in AI adoption, utilizing it in various medical processes, including diagnostic imaging and robotic-assisted surgeries, such as bariatric surgery. Notably, HOMS proudly presents its AI-powered Magnetic Resonance equipment, which acquires high-quality images in less time. It’s the first of its kind in the Dominican Republic and enhances patient comfort and efficiency. HOMS has protocols for comprehensive body scans, improving image quality, visibility, and precision in diagnosis.

HOMS is also equipped with high-precision tomography scanners, allowing for rapid early diagnoses and reducing scan times. AI-driven cardiac resonance procedures minimize unnecessary interventions, enhancing decision-making and patient care. Additionally, the center can accommodate patients weighing up to 400 pounds, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of individuals.

Both healthcare institutions in Santiago emphasize the pivotal role of AI in enhancing medical services, reinforcing the region’s commitment to modernity, precision, and patient well-being.

The Vector Control Unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue its mosquito eradication efforts this week in the parishes of St Lucy, St Peter, and St Michael.

Fogging will commence on Monday, November 6, in the following St Lucy districts – Maycocks Terrace, Checker Hall Development, Friendly Hall, Husbands Road, Harrisons and environs.

The team will return to St Lucy, on Tuesday, November 7, to fog Clinketts Gardens, Sutherland Road, Fustic Village, Checker Hall Road, Half Moon Fort, Colleton Gardens, Shermans, and surrounding areas.

The Unit will turn its attention to communities in St Peter on Wednesday, November 8, when they visit Six Men’s Development, Colleton Gardens, Retreat Road, and Port St Charles.

The following day, Thursday, November 9, Heywoods Development and Golden Mile, also in St Peter, will be targeted for fogging.

Fogging for the week will conclude on Friday, November 10, when some areas in St Michael will be sprayed, including Free Hill with avenues, Rock Road, Connell Road, Free Hill Crescent, and neighbouring districts.

Fogging takes place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. Householders are reminded to open their windows and doors to allow the spray to enter.

Members of the public are advised that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the Unit’s control. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to communities affected in the soonest possible time.

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José Iván Encarnación, President of the Dominican Foundation for Integral Development, highlighted the measure taken by the Presidential Commission to support neighborhood development since a fortnight ago, a girl died of the disease in that area.

He thanked the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, for instructing the director of the Commission for Neighbourhood Development, Rolfi Rojas, to intervene in the neighborhoods of Villa Duarte in alliance with civil society organizations.

“We are carrying out an unprecedented operation in terms of fumigation, cleaning of streets, avenues, alleys and gullies to eliminate the reservoirs where the larvae multiply and then become the mosquito that produces dengue fever,” he said.

He informed that, in addition to dengue, the operation prevents other diseases such as malaria, leptospirosis, chikungunya, and other illnesses that attack marginalized sectors.

In addition to the operation against dengue and other diseases, the Commission for Neighbourhood Development will impact dozens of houses in poor condition in Simonico with the replacement of roof floors paving of alleys, as well as the intervention of the gullies.

Joel La Ho of the Simonico neighborhood council highlighted the workday because it would prevent other children from dying of dengue fever, in addition to the announcement by Rolfi Rojas to start next week in the continuation of the workday with the repair of houses in poor condition.

Some health centers have been forced to suspend elective surgeries due to a lack of beds, the director of a prestigious clinic in Santo Domingo told Hoy. The reality is no different in cities like Santiago and La Vega. People go from place to place looking for a bed in the private sector, and they use primary relationships with doctors, politicians, and journalists to get a bed. In practice, there are none.

One pediatrician has up to 16 patients, another has 10, and this figure is repeated when they are consulted privately.

The private centers that have up to 35% of their beds occupied by patients with dengue are Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Otorhinolaryngology, Abreu Clinic, Plaza de la Salud, Abel González, and the UCE Medical Centre. The Independencia, Alcántara y González, and Rodríguez Santo clinics also have high occupancy rates. In Santiago, Unión Médica, Corominas and the Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (Homs).

Public centres
The public hospitals with the highest number of patients under 18 admitted with the viral disease transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti are the Robert Reid Cabral and the Hugo Mendoza. Also known as the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti is a mosquito that can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro, and yellow fever viruses, and other disease agents. The mosquito can be recognized by black and white markings on its legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the upper surface of its thorax.

State hospitals
Data released by Robert Reid Cabral indicates that by mid-afternoon on Friday, 63 children with symptoms of dengue fever were admitted. The hospital reported that it has 13 new patients. Three patients are in intensive care. The emergency room is full of patients with fever and other symptoms.

The Hugo Mendoza Hospital has 60 admissions and one in intensive care. The Hospital General de la Plaza de la Salud has 23 minors admitted; six were waiting for beds in the emergency room.

Other viruses
It is not only dengue impacting the Dominican health system but also respiratory infections.

In that order, the authorities call the population to go to vaccination centers to be immunized against the influenza virus.

At least 20 European companies have signaled their intention to participate in the European Union’s (EU) first ever trade mission under the “Global Gateway” partnership initiative with 150 countries, EU’s Ambassador to Guyana, “We would have the very first trade mission coming to Guyana and that trade mission is here under the heading of the ...

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic has solidified its position as the leading medical tourism destination in the Caribbean and ranks second in Latin America, attaining the 19th spot globally, thanks to the arrival of 262,902 patients in 2022. These medical tourists spent six times more than conventional tourists, making a significant contribution to the country’s economy.

This data was unveiled during the Sixth International Congress of Health and Wellness Tourism, a gathering of prominent figures from the medical, tourism, and financial sectors, both local and regional. At the event, Alejandro Cambiaso, President of the Dominican Association of Health Tourism (ADTS), presented the second study on Health and Wellness Tourism in the country, shedding light on the sector’s economic impact and challenges.

The report underscores that international patients seeking medical care in the Dominican Republic spend an average of $7,500. Of this, $5,000 is allocated for medical expenses, while $2,000 goes towards accommodation and transportation. This substantial expenditure significantly surpasses the average spending by regular tourists.

In 2022, the country welcomed 262,902 international patients, with the majority seeking dental treatments (179,085), followed by plastic surgeries (40,000), other surgeries (26,290), and outpatient and preventive medicine (17,527). These health tourists accounted for approximately 3.7% of non-resident tourists arriving in the country by air, totaling 7,163,394 visitors.

The study reveals that 77% of medical tourism services are provided by private clinics, while 23% operate under different management schemes with advanced technology. Some of these centers hold international accreditations, including Joint Commission International (JCI), Accreditation Canada, and Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). Nineteen establishments were identified throughout the country, with information collected from 13 of them, representing 68% of the sample.

The majority of health tourism services are concentrated in the southeastern region (Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, and La Romana) and the northern Cibao region (Santiago and Puerto Plata).

The study also identifies several challenges, including the need to enhance innovation and establish an effective medical recertification system. It highlights that although medical personnel are highly qualified, technical and nursing staff need improvement. Challenges related to language proficiency, moonlighting, and technological capabilities were also noted.

Santo Domingo.- Public Health authorities in the Dominican Republic have reported three new confirmed deaths in minors due to dengue, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease this year to 16. Additionally, there are 15,606 suspected cases of dengue in the country.

During epidemiological week 42, 1,175 febrile patients with possible dengue were reported, which is lower than the previous weeks. The head of the General Directorate of Epidemiology emphasized the importance of seeking medical assistance from the first day of fever, particularly for children.

The Vice Minister of Collective Health noted that patients who arrive late for treatment are at a higher risk of complications and death. Currently, there are 687 patients admitted with fever in the public healthcare network, and the demand for beds is highest in certain regions.

Efforts to combat dengue include fumigations, abatement deliveries, and blood tests. There is also a demand for platelet donations due to dengue-related cases.

Dengue remains a significant health concern in the Dominican Republic, and authorities are working to manage and reduce the impact of the disease.

Better care for cancer patients may be on the horizon.

A new prescription medicine for treating cervical cancer has been showing positive results in clinical trials.

In phase 3 global trials, TIVDAK (tisotumab vedotin) was linked to a 30% overall reduction in the risk of death compared to chemotherapy.

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TIVDAK also demonstrated a 33% decrease in the risk of worsening disease or death.

In addition, the intravenous drug showed an improved objective response rate of 17.8% compared to chemotherapy at 5.2%.

The trial also measured the disease control rate, which is the percentage of patients who experience complete response, partial response or stable disease.

TIVDAK displayed a 75.9% disease control rate, while chemo showed a 58.2% rate.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, emphasized the importance of these findings.

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"To have an overall survival advantage in this disease is extremely, extremely rare," he said.

"It changes the second-line standard of care for this disease. Now, all patients who recur after first-line therapy should be considered for this therapy," Slomovitz added. "So it's a game-changer."

Slomovitz, who has been directly involved in the trials, explained that the new class of drugs attacks a certain protein on the cell, which allows chemotherapy to be delivered to the cell "in a precise fashion."

He said, "So, it doesn't give a lot of the peripheral side effects that we see with traditional chemotherapy."

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, is not involved in the drug's development or testing, but he believes the drug shows promise as an effective treatment.

"Cervical cancer can be a very aggressive disease, difficult to diagnose early, with a poor prognosis when it is metastatic," he told Fox News Digital.

"It is generally treated with multiple drugs, including chemo and radiation, which can shrink the tumor but very often does not cure it," he added. "The new targeted therapy TIVDAK, which includes a monoclonal antibody against the tissue factor associated with the tumor, is an "effective additional and useful therapy with a high response rate."

TIVDAK has shown ocular side effects such as conjunctivitis (pink eye), peripheral neuropathy (weakness, numbness, and pain from nerve damage) and some bleeding, but Dr. Kathleen Moore, associate director of clinical research at Stephenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma City, said she felt that is manageable.

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Moore has been administering TIVDAK to her patients since the FDA’s accelerated approval in 2021. 

She reported that they haven’t had a difficult time managing and offsetting side effects. Patients usually find relief by using prescription eye drops prior to beginning treatment and cold compresses to mitigate potential toxicity, Moore said.

"There's not been a single issue with a patient not being able to use the eyedrops and be compliant with all the mitigation strategies in order to obtain the benefit from this medication," she said.

Only 5% of patients have had to discontinue treatment due to side effects, Slomovitz reported.

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Chemotherapy, comparatively, shows a "much higher risk" of side effects, including anemia, nausea, hair loss and neutropenia, according to Slomovitz.

"We’re hoping that a treatment like [TIVDAK] is something that the patients prefer as opposed to the chemotherapy option," he said.

"As clinicians, we feel that the side effects are very manageable — and given the overall increase in efficacy, it's something that our patients are willing to have."

Moore mentioned that Oklahoma has "quite a bit of experience" with TIVDAK, since there is a large population of cervical cancer patients who present with "very advanced disease or metastatic disease at diagnosis" and require the treatment.

The doctor, who is also a drug developer, said her patients have done "very well" with the drug and appreciate its effectiveness and accessibility through insurance.

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"That's unheard of," she said. "In the past, we just did not have active medications and our patients really were left with ineffective therapies, and they just died."

Patients are recognizing that TIVDAK has worked to shrink their tumors, Moore said, which then leads to less pain and reduced dosage of medication.

"They’re feeling better because their disease is shrinking," she said.

TIVDAK has been used in practice since phase 2 trials led to accelerated approval by the FDA in the U.S.

The drug, however, could not earn full FDA approval until phase 3 was complete, Slomovitz noted.

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"We're hoping that the FDA approves this for a confirmatory trial in the setting, which would obviously have a great impact on the care of our patients," he said.

Slomovitz said he’s optimistic the FDA will give full approval for the drug in the "near future."

Both doctors shared their hopes for FDA drug clearance globally.

"We're starting to see, finally, improvements in therapies for patients who have advanced metastatic cervical cancer, all improving overall survival," Moore said. "So it is looking brighter."

Cervical cancer is the fourth most deadly cancer in female patients, according to Slomovitz.

Moore pointed out that the best way to avoid cervical cancer is to prevent it through annual screenings and vaccinations.

"This is an entirely preventable disease," she said. 

"The correct way to cure is to prevent, so that’s what we should be doing, too."

For more Health articles, visit foxnews.com/health

Santo Domingo.- Public health authorities reported three new confirmed deaths in minor patients due to dengue on Wednesday, bringing the total number of dengue-related deaths this year to 16. The number of suspected dengue cases also rose to 15,606.

During epidemiological week 42, 1,175 febrile patients with possible dengue were reported, which is a lower figure compared to previous weeks when there were 1,248 patients in week 41, 1,398 in week 40, and 1,431 in week 39.

Dr. Ronald Skewes, the head of the General Directorate of Epidemiology, emphasized the importance of seeking medical assistance from the first day of fever, especially for children, to receive proper care and guidance on how to proceed. He noted that 56% of cases arrive late, with fever lasting between three and five days, increasing the risk of severity.

Vice Minister of Collective Health, Eladio Pérez, highlighted that most dengue-related deaths occur in patients who arrive late to the emergency room. Currently, there are 640 patients admitted with fever, and there is a 32% availability of beds in the public healthcare network across the country.

In regions like Cero, which includes Monte Plata, the National District, and Santo Domingo, there is a high demand for beds, with only 24 beds available out of 332 internal patients.

Dhamelisse Then, director of the Hugo Mendoza Hospital, mentioned that 70% of dengue patients do not require hospitalization if they receive early care and follow-up. The hospitals are working to manage the increasing cases of dengue efficiently and provide the necessary care to patients.

The Accident and Emergency Department is again experiencing a surge in the number of patients presenting for treatment with various medical complaints. At 11am today November 1st, 2023, approximately 50 patients were waiting to be seen by our medical team.

The peak in numbers has led to some patients experiencing increased wait times in the department. For further information or advice on if you need to present to the Accident and Emergency Department with your medical complaint, please call our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS/Help Desk) at 536-4800 using regular or whatsapp calls from 9am to 12 midnight during this surge.

You also have the option of visiting the 24-hour Winston Scott Polyclinic at Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael for treatment or your private General Practitioner.

If you present to the AED with medical conditions which are not deemed life-threatening or an emergency, it is possible you may experience an extended wait.

Life-threatening conditions, under the Accident and Emergency’s Triage System will continue to be seen and treated immediately. These include patients who for example, have life, limb or sight threatening complaints, gunshot wounds, heart attacks, active seizure activity or a patient who needs resuscitation.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and we will continue to provide updates as we work to reduce extended waiting times and offer the best possible care and treatment in the Accident and Emergency Department

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