Hope and warm smiles at Aklan medical mission

MANILA, Philippines - Too often, we become too preoccupied with the demands of daily living that we fail to realize our blessings and how we are in a better place than many others. We take for granted, for instance, basic facilities like electricity, medical services, and water, which remain inaccessible to many rural communities in the country.

An old saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” And in the case of the people of the Ibajay district in Aklan, it may also take the help of volunteer groups to help nurture and take care of its children and adults as well.

One such group is The Lina Group of Companies, which recognizes its social responsibility to the community it serves by holding yearly medical missions to various underprivileged groups around the Philippines.

The company responded to an appeal by Rev. Richard G. Pacheco of the Guiding Light Ministries of Aklan, Inc. Rev. Pacheco is now based in Manila but has stayed in Aklan for about 20 years preaching and spreading the good word of the Lord.  Today, he continues to diligently help the less fortunate of Aklan by seeking support from various gracious sponsors. 

This year, from August 15 to 17, when I joined the 13th Medical Mission to the Ibajay district of Aklan, I witnessed how a simple act of kindness has the power to change lives.

Since I’ve been planning on entering medical school, this would certainly be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe medical practitioners at work.

The medical team consisted of 70 individuals, including some of the most distinguished surgeons, doctors, and nurses from established hospitals such as Abesamis Dental Clinic, Asian Hospital, Parañaque Doctors Hospital, and the Department of Opthalmology of the University of Santo Tomas.

Under the kind hospitality of Aklan Governor Joeben and Mayor Lulu Miraflores, the mission involved major, minor, and obstetric surgeries, dental procedures such as tooth extraction, and medical, pediatric and ophthalmological consultations where medicines were also provided.

The mission took place at Ibajay District Hospital, a narrow complex that was unable to completely house all procedures. Medical outpatient consultations took place outside, under a makeshift tarpaulin — the long line of patients trailing beyond the grounds of the hospital — while the tooth extractions performed by the dental team were situated on the nearby lawn, with patients sitting on plastic chairs beneath the shade of the trees, lifting their heads and dutifully opening their mouths as dentists injected anesthesia and yanked out teeth right then and there.

The most critical activities were in the major and obstetric surgery rooms. The tiny room for major surgery accommodated three operations simultaneously taking place.

There were more than 20 people cramped in this space. Although there were volunteer nurses running about left and right, the staff constantly went in and out to provide sterilized surgical instruments, and to monitor patients’ heart rates. Still, the surgeons remained unfazed by the cacophony of noise and movement around them, focusing solely on their task at hand.

All in all, 37 major surgeries were performed within three days of the medical mission, ranging from thyroidectomy, the removal of all or part of the thyroid gland in the throat, to cheiloplasty, a procedure that repairs the condition of cleft lip.

The obstetric team completed seven procedures, including myomectomies, the removal of mass in the uterus. It was quite shocking to find that one poor woman had 14 masses inside her, many of them three times the size of your fist, while another individual had a single mass that weighed over 11 pounds!  A total of 69 minor surgeries were also successfully completed, mostly consisting of the excision of smaller masses.

In the other departments, 398 patients were consulted by the medical division, 361 children by the pediatric team, 272 by the dental group, and 150 by the ophthalmologic team. Sadly, many patients needing surgery had come for prescreening a month prior to the mission but lacked the necessary funds for transportation to return for the crucial operation. Nonetheless, the heartfelt gratitude from these people was palpable; one patient even offered his prized marang fruit as a means to repay the doctors for their kindness.

Governor Joeben and Mayor Miraflores were gracious enough to open their respective homes to the medical mission, both generous beyond measure as they organized meals and lodgings for an exhausted but fulfilled medical team of 70 trudging back from a long day’s work.

On the very last night of the mission, a large celebration took place, laughter echoed throughout as surgeons, doctors and nurses finally let loose and relaxed after a strenuous three days’ worth of service. Next morning, the team left for a one-night stay in Boracay, a well-deserved reward that had many eagerly waking up at 5:30 a.m. to enjoy a lively pre-trip banter.

Without doubt, the work done by these 70 individuals were not only remarkable but also commendable. Everyone took time out from their busy schedules to help those truly in need.

I asked one of the doctors what moved them to be part of the medical mission. He shared that the satisfaction they received was not the same as when they treat their more privileged patients in their clinics back in the big city.

Here, in the small town of Ibajay where life is at its humblest and the smiles and appreciation of its folks are at its most gracious, the joy of rendering service and care goes beyond monetary value. The heartfelt gratitude, the volunteer doctor shared, was simply “priceless.”