Last Updated on July 15, 2017 by Marie Bautista
Four years ago, fate dealt a blow to me.
And hoboy, that was one helluva blow.
While my father was at the ICU, two of my kids are in a nearby hospital room battling dengue.
I am so glad that in recent years, the medical community has been making headway in our battle against dengue infection.
Take for instance Healthyway Medical.
Healthway Medical, a network of mall-based medical clinics around the Metro has partnered with local biotechnology firm Philab Industries Inc. to give full attention to one of the potentially deadly diseases such as dengue. This agreement was officially launched at their very first specialty clinic Healthway Medical Clinic in EDSA Shangri-La.
The partnership is a testament of Philab Industries Inc. and Healthway’s mission to provide excellent healthcare to the public, bringing innovative products and services to those who need medical attention. This service also extends to corporate clinics which will offer a one-stop-shop for company employees who are always on the go.
“Healthway has been in the business for 20 years and we are happy that this partnership is sealed and finalized. We join hands with Philab in providing the public access to fast and superior quality of service,” says Healthway Medical vice president for marketing and sales Carmie De Leon.
Philab Industries Inc., through its brand LABit Dx will supply the Dengue NS1 Ag self-test kit to the clinics. This partnership would enable Healthway to expand its businesses to early screening of dengue infection and advocate for a better understanding of the disease towards a proactive health and lifestyle.
The specialty clinic will also offer first-rate services such as dental implantology, spine sports and rehabilitation, ECU, and integrative medicine aside from the wide range of medical offerings the health clinic is providing.
“Proactive health management is what we advocate in Philab. This health management strategy will complement the medical attention our doctors will provide,” said Philab Holdings Corporation president and CEO Darlene Berberabe.
“Achieving holistic wellness is a teamwork between individuals and the doctors who take care of us. We hope that through our early screening tools, all individuals become empowered towards wellness,” continued Berberabe.
Philab recently launched its Dengue Awareness Campaign to amplify efforts towards a proactive mind set in responding to diseases through the use of the screening tool. The company launched the self-test kits in March of this year and is currently available online.
Here is a look at the Dengue self-test kit:

The Dengue Self Test Kit

What’s Inside The Box?

The Dengue Self-Test Kit
Under the In Vitro Diagnostics are the LABit Self-test kits which can be used even at home.
It has Dengue Self-Testing Kits which are effective preventive measures of one of the most common and life-threatening diseases in the country.
The LABit Dengue Self-Testing Kit is designed for early diagnosis of dengue infection.
To be able to get accurate results, the test must be done within five days at the onset of fever. By dropping the blood sample on the sample pod, the test kit will determine after 15-20 minutes if the patient is dengue-positive or not through the indicator lines – two lines for positive, and one line for negative.
The Dengue Self-Testing Kit contains highly-sensitive immuno-chromatographic membranes to examine if the blood contains the dengue virus non-structural protein 1 antigen (NS1). It has a sensitivity of up to 97.16%, accuracy of up to 98%, and specificity of up to 100%, making it a reliable tool for early diagnosis of dengue infection.
Philab’s LABit Dengue Self-Testing Kit is commercially available, and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

PHILAB, HEALTHWAY MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP SIGNING
PARTNERSHIP SIGNED: Healthway Medical and Philab executives pose with the Memorandum of Agreement that signifies their joint efforts to create a healthier community and make the entire nation a dengue-free environment. (From left to right) Sr. Manager for Clinic Operations, Dr. Francis Mangonon, MD, Healthway Medical VP for sales and marketing Carmie de Leon, president and CEO of Philab Holdings Corp. Atty. Darlene Berberabe, CEO of Philab Industries Jennifer Bantang, and CEO of MeDx Pte. Ltd. Tee Sing Tang. Healthway Medical and Philab Holdings Corporation partner to raise dengue awareness and offer early screening of dengue through the LABit Dx Dengue NS1 Ag self-test kit.
About Healthway Medical
Healthway Medical is a network of mall-based one-stop medical clinics that offers top-quality services and superior care to attend to the varying needs of out-patient individuals. It houses doctors and medical practitioners and as well as a wide range of laboratory and diagnostic facilities, ensuring the administration of proper medical attention to its patrons. It currently has branches in Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, Taguig, Malate, Makati and Quezon City.
About PHILAB
PHILAB Industries Inc., is one of the pioneer Philippine companies focused on life science equipment and services. PHILAB has a leading position in supplying life science equipment to the healthcare, pharmaceutical, education and research industries, which it built over the past 58 years. It has designed and built numerous laboratories for schools and research facilities and provided science teaching tools to public and private educational institutions. It is present in the In Vitro Diagnostics market today with its LABit series of portable self-test kit for Dengue fever.