Archive for September, 2011

10 Philippine Herbal Medicines Endorsed by the Department of Health

Herbal medicine is the use of leaves, barks, roots and flowers of plants for the treatment or prevention of ailments or the promotion of good health. Like China, the Philippines is another country long known for using herbal medicines long before its popularity in the west. In recent years, medical researchers, organizations, pharmaceutical companies and government health agencies took a serious look at folkloric herbal medicines often used by Filipinos in rural areas.

Research and studies by the academe, industries and government confirm the effectively of certain herbs in the treatment of diseases. Many of these herbs also proved to have health benefits in addition to their curative value. The Philippine Department of Health, after thorough evaluation and years of clinical trials have endorsed 10 herbal plants as alternative medicines for various diseases ranging from asthma, hypertension to diabetes.

The 10 herbs endorsed by the Philippine Department of Health are:

1. Akapulko for fungal infections.

2. Ampalaya for diabetes.

3. Bawang for hypertension.

4. Bayabas as antiseptic.

5. Lagundi for asthma

6. Niyog-niyogan for intestinal infestation

7. Sambong as a diuretic

8. Tsaang Gubat for intestinal motility

9. Ulasimang Bato for gout

10. Yerba Buena as analgesic

Caution however is advised to those who wish to try herbal medicines. A lot of research is still to be done and standards of dosage have to be established. Many of the commercially available herbal medicines are listed as supplements and have not passed the stringent standards required by the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration. Some herbal medicines also react to prescription & nonprescription drugs. Always consult your doctor before taking any herbal medicine.

Growing Your Small Business – Doing Business With the Department of Health and Human Services

In 1953 the Department of Health, Education and Welfare became a cabinet level department in the United States. In 1979 the Department of Education Organization Act split HEW into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS is responsible for the health, safety and well-being of residents of the United States. This mandate also extends internationally for cross-border health and safety issues.

HHS administers over 300 programs with a budget of over $737 billion. HHS mission includes a wide range of human issues, including substance abuse, Medicare and Medicaid, childrens health, health disparities, disease prevention and health promotion. It is the largest grant-making department within the Federal Government.

In 1979 the Department of Health and Human Services established the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization to develop and implement outreach to the small business community. The Office performs its mission through small business fairs, procurement conferences, trade group seminars, conventions and forums.

The Office of Small Business Development, also called OSDBU, is host to Vendor Outreach Sessions that happen twice monthly. The purpose of these sessions is to introduce and educate vendors on the small business program and to provide them information so that they can effectively market their products and services to HHS.

The Department of Health and Human Services is the only executive agency where Small Business Specialists report to the OSDBU Director. These Small Business Specialists are located within the eleven agencies of HHS.

Every day, these Specialists work with Contracting and Program Office staff, so as to determine the best acquisition strategy; they also work to make their approach unified so that when vendors deal with Health And Human Services, this unity will benefit them.

Currently, HHS does not provide grants or loans to help small businesses get going, but it is in fact the largest organization to make grants within the federal government. It has over 300 grant programs today, and it handles mission-specific topics, which are in turn delegated among the various HHS operating agencies. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance profiles all Federal grant programs; these provide financial assistance and include HHS programs. In addition, specific points of contact for obtaining applications or additional information are also provided.

Vendors who are interested in doing business with Health And Human Services do not have to have any special certification, but instead, the Small Business Administration provides certification to firms under the Business Development Program, the Historically Underutilized Business Zone Program, and the Small Disadvantaged Business Program. Businesses that are Women-Owned, Veteran Owned, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, or Small Businesses are generally managed with self-certification. Self-certification is not challenged unless or until an interested party or competitor provides protest to it. In addition, an HHS Contracting Officer may request that the SBA provide a size determination.

Health Department Regulations For Your Catering Business

When starting with a catering business you will be required to have many licenses and certifications, and must adhere to Health Department regulations. You will need to contact your local Health Department for the specific regulations, certifications, licenses, and insurance information for your area. The Health Department also usually requires an inspection of the area to be used for your catering business.

The cooks and employees need to be clearly aware of food service sanitation especially when it comes to the storage of finished or prepared food. And this knowledge affects the decision of the health department in order to approve the kitchen. Certain food items always have specific regulations and therefore if the kitchen is going to prepare those kinds of food in particular then these precise regulations should be known by the workers.

There is a legal obligation to provide information and training on health and safety to all employees who need it, including full time staff, new recruits and part-timers. Slips, trips and falls give rise to a third of all reported accidents in catering premises. Consider floor cleaning, procedures to clean up spillages, and appropriate footwear. These will be inspected by the health department officers as to what steps are taken to prevent such accidents. All precautions are therefore a necessity. It is vital to show to the officers that you are taking all necessary measures to keep your employees as well as your guests safe from all kinds of accidents including food- borne illness or fire or even a slip. Consider what causes burns and scalds. The safe use of oven cloths is to be done by keeping them dry and in good condition. Many cleaning agents can cause bad burns and eyes are particularly at risk.

You ought to clearly remind your employees that while at work they have a legal duty to take reasonable care of the health and safety of themselves, their colleagues and others with whom they come in contact as well their guests and also they ought to co-operate with their employer in complying with health and safety requirements.

The health department will check that all the equipments are in safe working order and are being correctly used, cleaned, maintained and stored and that the staff is trained in the correct use and cleaning of equipment before they are allowed to use it.

The procedures regarding the food items are to be inspected like whether the products are being correctly handled and safe procedures are followed while lifting and handling, cleaning, including proper isolation of equipment, safe use of chemicals; and use of protective clothing and equipment such as gloves and goggles if required.

Proper hygiene is to be maintained in the kitchen. When the place is inspected and the main chef is probably interviewed the health department will check the knowledge on proper hygiene before approving the kitchen. These are the most important facts to remember in order to get the approval of the state or local health department.