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Medical
Mission # 16. Bogo
City, Northern Cebu Province, 26 –130 January 2009. This was the location
and dates for our Medical Mission # 16. Another link in the chain of Miracles
we call our Medical Missions to the Philippines. Patients line up from
early morning to late afternoon, it is always hot and sticky, strange food and drinks, and not enough sleep were all pars
for the course. The hospitality of the local Hospital staff, and of course the
ever-available Student Nurses from 2 of the local training schools were just waiting to serve us, Translating into the local
dialect, and thus able to help us in the patients needs. From just a re-assuring
word and touch, to life saving, life changing, and the relief of pain and suffering was what we were able to pass along without
a thought to the cost, individually or as a group we all gave and were rewarded by seeing a patient walk away happy. We
worked our 10-12 hour days and all the time feeling the heartfelt thank you as well as hearing them from the ever-grateful
patients. The hospital staff was plunged deep into our every day operations,
sometimes wondering what are these crazy Mission people going to do next. They
were always ready to assist regardless of the huge demands that we placed upon them during our intense presence. Numbers:
While enormous for our “Just 5 Days” kept every person, in every team going flat out. Day 1, first we had to move about 350 boxes from one room to another, so we could have a pharmacy room.
Then our Pharmacy was kept so busy; passing out over 1,400 prescriptions, pills of every kind, mostly without a break, from
morn to night. The Open Clinic team, also called the Riot Zone, put up with the
heat and doing all the paper work to get each patient to the area of treatment they needed.
Surgeons, worked their miracles while not always having the latest equipment, changing appearances, removing pain,
improving the quality of life, and yes 2 new babies arrived. All our Doctors,
Nurses, Support people worked at jobs they didn’t believe existed before they arrived, looking for a piece of string,
to some high-tech gadget, perspiration was the norm for each. Recovery room nurses
worked at easing their patients pain and worry after surgery, promoting a happy future for each and all. Our 40-foot Container full of equipment and supplies had been stored before
we arrived, then as the needs arose, sent to the team rooms by our supply team, running around with heavy boxes, stacking
them in the aisles because there was no room inside, surely built up their appetites, {Local Rotarians and even Politicians,
really looked after us so well, no one lost weight}. The 15,000 Lbs of freight
we brought will provide the hospital with items that will last them for many years, yes many years to come. Clinical and Surgical instruments, as well as disposables, will save the hospital many Pesos, so the income
they do receive can be used to upgrade, and continue what we have started. Patients
can now come to their hospital with pride and the knowledge they will be treated whether they can pay or not. Doctors and Nurses can treat their patients in the manner they were trained to do. Yes our Medical Mission was difficult, Many lives have had major changes, ours also. If you are in doubt, just ask any of our 41 participants, or the 2,179 Patients we treated. Denys.
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