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Davao group accomplishes mission in Tawi-Tawi

#PHinfo: Davao group accomplishes mission in Tawi-Tawi

DAVAO CITY, Mar. 2 (PIA) - For a patient to reach the nearest hospital in Tawi-Tawi, he would need to take a 16-hour boat ride or a 30-minute plane ride which rarely happen because of the costly fare. The transportation cost alone is a problem, not to mention the lack of medical experts and facilities to cater to major medical operations.

This brought the team of 50 medical volunteers led by Dr. Rolley Rey Lobo of the Halad Mission Group Foundation to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi last February 23, 2020 and stayed for almost a week catering to 763 patients.

“It started with an invitation for the group to hold a mission in Tawi-Tawi. We readily acceded to,” said Lobo who also led the first mission last year.

Lobo as the team leader consolidated all possible help the group could gather to accomplish the mission. The first challenge is how to bring the 50 individuals to Bongao without taking the commercial plane.

“Fortunately, we received a big help from Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte who was instrumental for us to bring all the volunteers including the heavy medical machines and equipment thru the C130 plane. Without her help, it would be impossible to bring the mission to Tawi-Tawi,” Lobo narrated.

She did not just ensure provision of logistical requirements, the young Duterte was also seen to have visited Datu Halun Sakilan Memorial Hospital where the mission was conducted. She personally met and spoke with some of the patients who were about to undergo operation.

Lobo recounted how the mayor reminded the team to do a follow up after they successfully conducted the first mission last year. That pushed him to organize the team and gather all needed support from the different groups.

Volunteers who are all medical practitioners came from the Southern Philippines Medical Center; UCCP Social Concerns and Foundation; and Halad Medical Mission Foundation.

Armed with the expertise and the passion to serve the sick, the team was able to screen more than 1,000 patients, operated 363 patients, and 400 patients were provided consultation with free medicines.

Some of the major operations done through the mission are the following: Thyroidectomy, Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, Herniorraphy, Cheiloplasty (cleft lip and palate), Cataract Surgery, and OB gyne cases like Total Abdominal Hysterectomy.

“We are so lucky that they entrusted their lives to us even though they do not know us,” said Cristina Jurez, the Mission Coordinator.

“For 8 years of being a volunteer nurse of the Halad Foundation, I can say that this mission is by far the most fulfilling and challenging one since Tawi-Tawi is one of the remote areas in the Philippines. The people in Tawi-Tawi have the fighting spirit despite their poor situation. We feel humbled and at the same time fulfilled as we were able to lessen the burden of the sick ones in that place”, said Dinggay Austria, one of the volunteer nurses.

“Magsukol kaniyo katan daing ha Dabaw, labilabi na ha Halad Foundation iban SPMC, ha tabang dihil niyo kamo bisan pa bukon kamo naghuhula di-i, magsukol ha pag-pih niyo ha hula namo, Tawi-Tawi supaya tabangan piyalabay ha libre operasyon. (Thank you so much to the people of Davao, especially the volunteers from the SPMC. We are very thankful that you have chosen our place for this mission. Even if you are not from this place, you chose to help us through free medical operations.)”, said of the patients beneficiaries.

The team went home last February 28 all fulfilled and accomplished. Lobo ensures that said mission won’t end that same day.

He plans to sustain the partnership with the local health office by helping to establish telemedicine between the two institutions. That way, Davao City government will closely support Tawi-Tawi thru health services.

“The best reward for a job well done is not the glory, nor the applause that you hear, nor the recognition bestowed upon you, but the best reward for a job well done is to have DONE it”, Lobo said. (PIA-XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)

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References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "Davao group accomplishes mission in Tawi-Tawi." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1035643 (accessed March 04, 2020 at 05:26PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "Davao group accomplishes mission in Tawi-Tawi." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1035643 (archived).

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