A PROFESSOR from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery called for more action research that will benefit society, in the annual Discurso de Apertura on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Prof. Ma. Minerva Calimag, an anesthesiologist, urged researchers to always aim for the social good over personal accolades.
Quality research, she said, “is not just about publishing for career advancement, but for the social good.”
Calimag also highlighted problems in the health sector, noting that 60 percent of Filipinos die without seeing a doctor.
Quoting Dr. Ernesto Domingo, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee, there are only 2,838 government doctors nationwide, while 6,151 doctors practice in five medical centers in Metro Manila alone.
“Encourage inclusivity and reject alienation. Let us do studies that promote healthy behaviors and safety,” Calimag said.
Calimag reminded researchers to always “involve communities in decision-making.”
Calimag, who served as the 93rd president of the Philippine Medical Association in 2014-2015, also pushed researchers to give time and talent to fulfill the University’s goal of building a community of “action researchers.”
“We at the University train future leaders who will continue to nurture our society into a vibrant future,” she said.
Calimag quoted former top Dominican Fr. Bruno Cadore, O.P., also a physician, advising Thomasians to always “ask God to make everyone ambassadors of compassion in this world.”
The Thomasian Outstanding Alumni Scientist Tribute awardee ended her message thanking her late husband, Dr. Placido Calimag Jr., and the Thomasian workforce she has worked with the past three decades. R. R. L. Arugay, C. R. C. Magpali and C. A. H. Torres
