Message of the Philippine General Hospital Director

Abstract

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” This was when, after the ravages of World War II, he sought to form the United Nations.

This pandemic has affected our daily lives in unimaginable ways, much like the World War did, almost 80 years ago. The onslaught of daily challenges required us to change our strategies, modify our course, and even abandon some plans. It did not, however, extinguish our quench for knowledge and the desire to share it with others.

I am truly proud of this COVID-19 special issue of Acta Medica Philippina, which stands as a testament to the unsinkable research spirit of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and the University of the Philippines as a whole. Ironically, it is in this unusual period that PGH has achieved its highest publication rate.

The vital lessons that the articles in this issue impart to its readers, culled from the seemingly desperate situation we are all in, would surely be instrumental for us to emerge out of this crisis better and wiser.

Gerardo D. Legaspi, MD
Director
Philippine General Hospital