Paulo Campos

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Paulo C. Campos

Born July 27, 1921(1921-07-27)
Flag of the PhilippinesDasmariñas, Cavite
Died June 2, 2007 (aged 85)
Manila
Occupation Internist
Known for National Scientist of the Philippines

Paulo C. Campos (July 7, 1921 — June 2, 2007) was a Filipino physician and educator noted for his promotion of wider community health care and his achievements in the field of nuclear medicine for which he was dubbed as "The Father of Nuclear Medicine in the Philippines"[1]. The first president of the National Academy of Science and Technology, he was conferred the rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines in 1988.

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[edit] Early life and education

Campos was born in Dasmariñas, Cavite. His parents were teachers[2], and his younger brother Jose would grow up to become a prominent law professor and an Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court.[3]

Having graduated as valedictorian of his elementary and high school class, Campos enrolled at the University of the Philippines in 1940. He obtained his medical degree in 1945, and topped the medical board exams of the following year. [2] Campos took residency at the Philippine General Hospital and joined the faculty of the U.P. College of Medicine.

[edit] Contributions to medicine

Throughout the 1950s, Campos would pursue graduate studies in the United States; particularly at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and at the Medical Division of the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies.[2] [1] He developed an interest in nuclear medicine while at Johns Hopkins, and completed a training course on the field at Oak Ridge.[4] Two years after his return to the Philippines in 1958, he was named as the head of the Department of Medicine of the University of the Philippines, and concurrently, the head of the department's Research Laboratories.[5]

As head of the Department of Medicine, Capos established the first Medical Research Laboratory in the Philippines[6] at the U.P. College of Medicine. The facility, considered as the country's premier research laboratory in the 1960s[6], furthered research in fields such as epidemiology, physiology and biology[6][7].

[edit] Nuclear medicine

Campos initiated the construction of the first radioisotope laboratory in the Philippines. With funding provided by the International Atomic Energy Authority and other Philippine institutions[5], the laboratory was established at the Philippine General Hospital. As a result, it was made possible for the first time in the country to conduct such procedures as the basal metabolism test and radioactive iodine therapy [5]

[edit] Goiter research

In 1960, Campos also helped established the first thyroid clinic in the Philippines, also at the Philippine General Hospital.[5][8] At the clinic, and with funding from the IAEA and later, the World Health Organization, Campos conducted considerable research on goiter, a common medical problem in the Philippines. His team first suggested the injection of iodized oil to goiter patients, a treatment later advocated by the WHO.[5]

Through the thyroid clinic, Campos likewise pursued research on whether there was a genetic factor that contributed to endemic goiter. His findings, as contained in a paper that he published in 1961[9], proposed that the iodine intake deficiency thought to be the main cause of goiter was just one of the triggering factors of the disease, and that physiology and anatomy proved to be more important considerations as some people were born without the enzyme necessary to take in trace elements such as iodine even if it were present in food and water.[6]

[edit] Community medical outreach

As Chairman of the Department of Medicine, Campos began the practice of fielding medical interns for community service in Los Baños, Laguna for one month a year[6]. In 1963, the program was institutionalized through the organization of the Comprehensive Community Health Program (CCHP), pursuant to an agreement between the University of the Philippines and the Department of Health. The CCHP, which was based in Bay, Laguna, served as a community health center that serviced several towns in Laguna. Until its closure in 1989, it became the community laboratory of the UP College of Medicine, and it was there that Campos conducted testing on the use of iodized oil for the treatment of goiter[10].

Campos also founded a hospital in Ermita, Manila, the Medical Center Manila, where he executed several of his ideas relative to health care in urbanized centers.[11]

[edit] Educator

In addition to his service at the University of the Philippines, Campos was also affiliated with the Emilio Aguinaldo College of Medicine, which he and his family also managed. Appointed as the President of the College in 1973, he oversaw the establishment in 1977 of a second campus in Dasmariñas, Cavite. The ownership and management of the Dasmariñas campus was sold by the Campos family in 1987 to the De La Salle University, which integrated it into the La Salle system as what is now known as the De La Salle University-Dasmariñas.[12] The Campos family retained control over the Manila campus of what is now the Emilio Aguinaldo College, a partner-institution of the Medical Center Manila.[13]

Despite his involvement with the Emilio Aguinaldo College, Campos maintained his ties with the University of the Philippines. He was named Professor Emeritus of the university and appointed a member of its Board of Regents in 1994[12].

[edit] Citations

In 1978, Campos was elected as the first President of the National Academy of Science and Technology, a government-organized body composed of Filipino scientists. He served as President until 1989. In that same year, the Academy nominated Campos for conferment of the rank and honor of National Scientist of the Philippines. His nomination was successful, and he was designated as National Scientist in 1989 by President Corazon Aquino.

Upon his death in June of 2007, Campos was honored with a state funeral befitting his rank as National Scientist, held at his hometown of Dasmariñas[1].

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Sabater, Madel R. (2007-06-05). National Scientist Dr. Paulo Campos passes away at 85. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  2. ^ a b c De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p.142
  3. ^ De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p.148
  4. ^ De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p.142-143
  5. ^ a b c d e De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p.143
  6. ^ a b c d e De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p.144
  7. ^ Romualdez, Alberto G., Jr. (2007-06-18). Paulo C. Campos: Pillar of medicine. Malaya. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  8. ^ De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p.141
  9. ^ The Genetic Factor in Endemic Goiter, In Proceedings of the Mexico Conference on the Uses of Radioisotopes in Animal Biology and the Medical Sciences, Mexico City (B.S. Baltazar, N. Grabato, L.T. Moya & A. Clemente, co-authors). See De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p.152
  10. ^ De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p. 144-45
  11. ^ De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p. 145
  12. ^ a b De Guzman-Dizon, National Scientists of the Philippines, p. 145
  13. ^ Medical Center Manila Official Website. Medical Center Manila. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.

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