Medical mission benefiting 2,500

CEBU - A total of 2,500 people, mostly children, in Cebu have benefited for the past five days the medical mission conducted by the Operation Blessing Philippines, the humanitarian arm of CBN ASIA.

Services include free medical, dental, and optical services, including construction of potable water sources and giving of startup capital for small-scale businesses.

The weeklong mission, dubbed “Operation: Blessing Cebu,” runs from November 20 to 27 in the towns of Tuburan, Tabuelan and Asturias, and the city of Lapu-Lapu.

Residents of barangays Bakhawan and Montealegre in Tuburan, barangay Kantubaon in Tabuelan, barangay Manguiao in Asturias, and barangay Canjulao and Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City received the services from the group.

Dr. Kim April Pascual, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Operation Blessing Philippines, said services varied from cyst removal and circumcision, to tooth extraction and skin disease treatments.

A special assistance for severe cases of malnutrition was also given.

According to Pascual, the places that they have gone to are very hard to reach and that they personally witnessed that “our kababayans really need help.”

“For them to get checkup, they would need P150 because they would have to travel to the city,” Pascual said.

“They will not go down because it is really expensive and we have to go there ourselves.” Pascual added.

More than 50 volunteers and staff of Operation Blessing joined the medical mission. They include surgeons, medical doctors, nurse, dentists and support personnel. — Jose P. Sollano/LPM   (THE FREEMAN)