Article by Margie B. Rivera, MSA, RN, CRNA
The Philippine Nurses Association of Michigan (PNAM) embarked on a gigantic project of sponsoring a medical-surgical mission in Kalibo, the capital of Aklan Province located at the northwest part of Panay Island in the Philippines. The mission was held at the Dr. Rafael S. Tumbocon Memorial Hospital, on February 6-9, 2007. This is the provincial hospital of Aklan.
There were thirty PNAM members and their families who participated in this mission. Three CRNAS from Michigan assisted one hardworking local anesthesiologist to cover the cases. Dr.Walter Salwen, a surgeon from the John Dingell VA Hospital, Detroit, worked hand in hand with the local surgeons. He was so impressed with the skills and expertise of the local surgeons and nursing staff in spite of limited modern surgical tools and amenities.
During the four-day mission, the group assisted the provincial hospital staff with their surgeries. They provided service to the Aklan community, including the funding of free Outpatient Clinic, the donation of medications, hospital supplies and food, the sponsorship of public health education, and the provision of free surgical procedures for members of the indigent population. Over 500 patients with minor health issues were seen in the clinic and over 50 major surgeries were performed. The surgical cases included total abdominal hysterectomies, thyroidectomies, hernia repairs and many more lumps and bumps cases. In one case, a 32-pound abdominal tumor was removed. “They were saving us all of the major cases,” President Ellen Dioso commented.
At the Outpatient Clinic, Dr. Ninfa Cayayan led the missioners. The nurses saw a wide range of health concerns such as thyroid problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, coughing, and fever. PNAM member Remedios Solarte, a retired Oakland Community College nursing faculty taught an overview of the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX) at S aint Gabriel College of Nursing in Kalibo. There were more than 100 nursing students and graduate nurses who attended.
Although the work was hard, the professionalism of the hospital staff and the warm welcome of the Aklano community made the short stay not only sweet but an immensely rewarding one. It was such an awesome experience to be able to share our many blessings to our less fortunate and economically deprived brothers and sisters in the Philippines. Many of the missioners verbalized their intentions to continue their volunteer work in other medical-surgical missions either here or elsewhere.
The nurses and doctors were aided with donations from the Serge Bongabong Dioso Foundation, Acclaimed Home Care, the Rosemar Techaid Foundation, as well as assistance from the local Philippine Nurses Association and Health Department located in Aklan.
© 2009 PNAM