A collaborative surgical mission sponsored by Operation Smile Philippines and HOPE Volunteers Foundation Inc. is back in Negros Occidental, this time at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center (BAMC).
It kicked off Sunday, Nov. 10, and will run until Friday, Nov. 15.
A team of more than 60 volunteers – including plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, dentists, speech pathologists, nurses, and other medical staff – will perform life-changing surgeries for children with cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities, Edith Villanueva, Hope Volunteers Foundation chairperson, said Sunday.
The mission kicked off on Sunday with a screening of over 160 patients from Bacolod and neighboring municipalities and cities, Villanueva said.
They are targeting about 100 patients that are healthy enough to be operated on in the next few days, she said.
The medical procedures, including dental obturators and speech therapy are scheduled to run from Monday to Friday, with each day filled with a lineup of surgeries aimed at transforming not only the physical appearance of patients but also their quality of life, Villanueva said.
The mission supported by international and national donors such as Johnson & Johnson, Watsons, Lions Club, aims to provide free surgical care to underserved communities in Negros Occidental, she said.
The medical mission volunteers*
Local support, manpower and resources for the surgical mission have been provided by the HOPE Volunteers Foundation led by Villanueva and its president Gian Trebol, the Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade headed by Bryant Lao, and various local government units led by Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Lacson and Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez
The mission’s OSP organizers Mark Salas, Menard Lubugan and medical director Dr. Irene Tangco thanked HOPE, the LGUs, donors, and the local community for their support.*