RCHi hosts PMMA medical surgical mission

February 4, 2012 Alaminos City.  The Philippine Minnesotan Medical Association composed of 77 doctors, nurses and medical aides arrived last January 27, 2012 at 10:30 in the evening at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from the United States of America to conduct a medical mission at the Western Pangasinan District Hospital (WPDH) in this city.

After clearing with immigration and customs, they were transported on board the two (2) airconditioned bus of the Province of Pangasinan to El Pescador Resort Hotel in Bolinao, Pangasinan and arrived there around 6:30 in the morning of January 28, 2012.  This is their residence while undergoing the medical surgical mission.  The members of the medical team were given their rooms and were served breakfast.

At 10:00 the whole delegation went to WPDH for final preparation of the operating room and conducted initial briefings at the Conference Room where the lunch throughout the mission dates will be served.

The medical surgical mission started with the Medical Team hearing of the Holy Mass at the St. Joseph Cathedral Parish where they were given special blessings by Fr. Tony Lambino.  After the mass, they proceeded to the WPDH to attend to the pre-operation screening of patients for operation on cleft palate, goiter and myoma who were already swarming the designated waiting area.  The patients were given dates when to return to the hospital for their operation.  There were no medical consultations and outpatient treatment done yet.  This is January 29, 2012, day 1.

January 30, 2012 was the start of the operation and also the start of the outpatient consultation, outpatient operation, dental services and eye examinations.  These activities were scheduled to be done until February 2, 2012 but need to be extended to February 3 because of the number of pre-screened patients and coupled with the lack of operating rooms and operating tables.

Last February 2, 2012, the Provincial Government of Pangasinan hosted a Send-Off Party for PMMA at the Sison Auditorium, Capitol Compound, Lingayen, Pangasinan, where the attendees were able to watch a cultural presentation of the province and ballroom dancing after a short program.  During the program, the Provincial Government of Pangasinan, thru Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. and Head of Hospital Dr. Susan Rita Merino, gave a Plaque of Appreciation to the PMMA, through Dr. Bernard R. Quebral, for conducting the said medical surgical mission and for donating to the WPDH the medical equipment and supplies with cost of US$1.6 Million.  The PMMA and RCHi in turn gave a Certificate of Appreciation to the Province of Pangasinan for allowing the conduct of medical surgical mission at the WPDH, the use of the facilities thereat and the use of the airconditioned buses for the transport of the members of the medical mission before, during and after the medical mission.

During the duration of the mission, the following activities were done:  (a) for surgery at the operating room – 48 surgeries on plastic surgery (cleft palate/hare lip, hand deformity), 28 surgeries on goiter and 28 surgeries on myoma, plus emergency ceasarian section to deliver a healthy baby boy; for minor surgeries at the outpatient clinic – 90 surgeries;  (b) for pharmacy: the mission brought 261 different kinds of medications spanning to 20 categories such as allergy, blood pressure, diabetes and pain; they filled over 400 prescriptions for multiple health issues; in addition, additional medications were bought; on the outpatient pharmacy, they filled our 600 prescriptions.

The other mission services done were: (a) Eye clinic where over 1400 pairs of eyeglasses were given away and over 1500 people were examined;  (b) at the Dental clinic where were 875 patients which includes 500 extractions; at the Alaminos Central School, 100 children received flouridization and 50 were treated with sealant;  (c) at the Diabetes Clinic with a Certified Diabetes Educator:  an instructional seminar was held for  the hospital employees on February 2, 2012;  2 conferences for nursing students were given and 92 patients were consulted and educated about diabetes;  (d) at the outpatient clinic, there were over 1900 patients seen by a dozen providers from many specialty areas, including 500 children.

All this things could not have been done if the Philippine Minnesotan Medical Association (PMMA) were not invited by the Rotary Club of Hundred Islands (RCHi) in 2004 after the conduct of their first medical mission in Alaminos City.  The RCHi gave a Certificate of Appreciation to PMMA for conducting this medical surgical mission for the benefit of the less fortunate brothers and sisters in the jurisdiction of the club.

The partnership of PMMA and RCHi would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to those who, in one way or another contributed to the success of this medical surgical mission namely:

(a)    the Province of Pangasinan, specifically Provincial Governor Amado T. Espino, who allowed the use of the facilities of the Western Pangasinan District Hospital and the airconditioned buses.  It is also apt to mention the participation of the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in passing a Provincial Board Resolution authorizing the Governor to accept the donation of medical equipment and medical supplies from PMMA even before their shipping to the country in two (2) forty-foot container vans.  Including the assistance of Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan and Provincial Health Officer Anna Marie de Guzman and their respective staffs.

(b)    Congressman Jesus “Boying” Celeste for the accommodation and breakfast of the 67 members of the PMMA medical team at the El Pescador Resort Hotel in Bolinao, Pangasinan.

(c)    Senator Edgardo Angara and Bureau of Customs Ruffy Biazon and their respective staff for assisting in the clearance and release of the two (2) forty-foot container van from the customs yard.

(d)   MOF Transportation, Inc. for bringing the two (2) forty-foot container vans from the customs yard to the Brother Venture warehouse in Bolaney, Alaminos City, Pangasinan.

(e)    The City Government of Alaminos which sponsored the lunch and tour of the whole PMMA delegation to the Hundred Islands National Park.

(f)     All the sponsors who contributed lunch or dinner for the medical mission team, namely: the Municipal Mayors of Sual, Mabini, Agno, Anda, Infanta, Dasol and Burgos; the Rotary Clubs of Binmaley Century, Dasol Bay, Mangatarem, Midwestern Pangasinan, Lingayen and Lingayen Gulf; Dr. Rafael Quebral and family, RCHi President Delia Cardenas and family, Rotarian Myrna Aquino and family, Rotarian Fely Reilly and family, City Vice-Mayor Cesar Manzano and family, Engr. Alexander Ang and family.  The writer apologizes to any sponsor he failed to mention.