“Mission Accomplished”
PAMA’s 2nd Annual Balikbayan Health Mission
Philippine Australian Medical Association (PAMA), an organization of Filipino doctors based in Australia which aimed to hold Medical Missions to the Philippines annually, joined forces with UGAY-Australia, an organization of Filipino Gubatnons from Sorsogon Province based in Australia, to hold the 2nd Annual Balikbayan Health Mission, last April 13-17, 2009 at Gubat District Hospital located in the Municipality of Gubat, Province of Sorsogon in the Philippines.
The 4-day Medical Mission consisted of rendering free health services: medical consults, major and minor surgeries, dental extractions, vaccinations, and health education. A total of 2000 people were served from 4 municipalities: Gubat, Prieto Diaz, Barcelona and Bulusan with an estimated combined total population of 120,000 people. The last 2 days of the Mission saw the conduct of Health Education for 85 Barangay Health Workers (BHW) which included training on basic life support, first aid, women’s and dental health.
“The overwhelming response by the community to the medical, surgical, and dental mission last April 13-17, 2009, was unexpected and unprecedented in the history of Gubat and Gubat District Hospital. One of the reasons could be that the majority of the patients had long been suffering in silence due to budgetary and financial constraints. The medical mission somehow gave them the opportunity to return to their normal lives again.” – Letter of acknowledgement from Juliana L. Encinas-Carino, M.D., Chief of Hospital, Gubat District Hospital.
The project was made possible with funds raised from PAMA’s Dinner-Dance Fundraising Ball held last August 2008, which was used for the procurement of medical-surgical-dental supplies. UGAY-Australia provided the funds for the local volunteers’ airfare, food and accommodation at Gubat Australia. Manpower and medical volunteers, as well as subsidised cost of surgical and anaesthetic supplies were provided by Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Volunteer Corps based in the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) in Manila.
Four PAMA doctors from Australia volunteered this year – Dr. Pat de Leon and family, Dr. Bon and wife Beth Relativo, Dr. Belinda Lorenzo, and Dr. Grace Maano along with friends of PAMA volunteers Nelma Galas, Jocelyn Brand, Henry Idea and UGAY-Australia representatives Ed and Tess Forcadilla and Lorna Escarcha.
