April 28, 2009
Make Dreams Real
As an offshoot of the First PAMA Medical Mission to the Philippines held on April 2008 at Polillo Island, Province of Quezon, Philippines – a project to provide assistance in the procurement of hospital equipment for Polillo Medicare Hospital was conceived … And last April 2009 was achieved!!!
Polillo Island is a fourth-class municipality about 4 hours by land and 3 hours by boat away from Manila. Being a far-flung island and on occasions of adverse weather conditions, inaccessible – the island has only one hospital, Polillo Medicare Hospital, serving as a 10-bed infirmary facility catering to a population of about 50,000. As is the case in any third-world country, Polillo Medicare Hospital is lacking in facilities and hospital equipment on the one hand, and the majority of poor people are unable to afford medicines or even transportation to seek medical attention, on the other hand.
In view of the above, the project Polillo Helath Aid 2009 was conceived. This project aimed to raise funds by solicitation, from May 2008 to April 2009 for the procurement of an X-ray machine and ECG machine for Polillo Medicare Hospital. Despite the budget shortfall, the X-ray machine which cost about $AU15,000 was procured and successfully turned over to Polillo Medicare Hopsital, along with a second-hand ECG machine donated by John Hunter Hospital in a short program on April 28, 2009. Local hospital staff and Municipal Government officials expressed gratitude for this big contribution towards uplifting the health care in this geographically remote and isolated island called Polillo.
The X-ray machine, a 300MA second-hand USA-refurbished machine, was procured in the Philippines from supplier Gino Mercado of Gino’s Marketing in Lucena City, who is to be commended in facilitating the installation of the machine and orientation of an X-ray Technician in Polillo. Continued hospital budget for X-ray supplies, cost of maintenance, creation of item for X-ray technician and procurement of transformer machine has been approved by the Quezon Provincial Governor, Rafael Nantes, in a Memorandum of Agreement signed before the installation of the X-ray machine last April 2009.
What started as a dream is now a reality … an X-ray machine and ECG machine is now operational in one of the Philippines’ geographically isolated depressed areas, namely Polillo Island in Quezon Province.
Congratulations and a big THANK YOU to all the people, Rotary clubs and other organizations who supported PAMA to make this dream real!
