Philippines, February 2024

MISSION SUMMARY:

Date: February 8th - February 21st, 2024
Location:  Hospital Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital, Ubay, Bohol, Philippines
Team Size: 25
Length of Mission: 13 days

 BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

This is the fourth ISHI mission to the Philippines. Last mission was in 2013, in a different region and hospital. 

 MISSION ACHIEVEMENTS:

Patient Care:

• Triaged over 189 patients
• Performed 82 operations 
• Performed 4 laparoscopic Cholecystectomies with hospital's newly purchased laparoscopy equipment
• Performed 1 prostatectomy for a patient with BPH

Teaching and Training:

• Welcomed local nursing stuents and volunteer nurses to get practical training during the week of surgeries, giving them experience to scrub with and assist our team.
• Collaboration between ISHI and local staff and nurses for post-operative care. Post mission communication with hospital ongoing.

 MISSION VOLUNTEERS:

SPECIAL THANKS:

Socorro Rogers: Socorro planned the mission and communicated with the hospital a year in advance in preparation for the mission. She played a role in every aspect of this mission.

Socorro “Corey” Boo Varela and Danny, her husband: Corey lives in Ubay and was instrumental in helping us with local patient recruitment and also local transportation in Ubay.  She also gave us a wonderful presentation teaching the team about the town of Ubay and the island of Bohol.

Governor Aris Aumentado and his team, including Charina Asunto for helping us with the team logistics and supporting the mission.  They paid for all of the additional patient medical expenses that were incurred at the hospital.  They also assisted with team transportation and meals.  Ms. Asunto was instrumental in helping with advertising of the mission to the local towns for recruitment of patients.  Their team also helped us by providing additional nursing volunteers during the mission to care for the inpatients at night. They also borrowed an additional anesthesia machine for us to use during the mission week.  Governor Aumentado was kind to host a dinner for the team at the conclusion of the mission.

Dr. Jasmine Jumao:as is the local Municipal Health Officer in Ubay.  She was very helpful in local advertisement of the mission and recruitment of patients.  She was also kind to introduce our team to Mayor Reyes of Ubay and his wife Violy, who visited with the team one evening.