Three institutions, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Makati Medical Center (MMC) and Tacloban Doctors Medical Center (TDMC),agreed to conduct a joint medical mission for the people affected by the recent Super-Typhoon Yolanda / Haiyan in the City of Tacloban, free of charge.
The joint medical mission started last November21 and will last for 10 days. Each of these agencies will have their respective responsibilities to aid the suffering in Tacloban City.
PRC will supply medicines and anti-tetanus vaccines courtesy of their many partner donors. They have also deployed a team of three volunteers and one staff to aid in the distribution of medicines and get the vital signs of the many patients.
MMC has deployed their team of experienced doctors and experts in the fieldof Internal Medicine, OB-Gynecology, Emergency Medicine, Anesthesiology, General and Orthopedic Surgery and Pediatrics. Also, the MMC team includes nurses, laboratory and auxiliary staff.
Lastly, the Tacloban Doctors Medical Center is to play host on this occasion by sharing their hospital facility and diagnostic center.
Available in this joint mission are free consultations and diagnostics services, namely CT Scan, chest X-ray, plain field abdomen, X-ray of the extremities, skull X-ray, ECG, ultrasound, clinical chemistries, emergency surgery, emergency caesarian section, and child birth delivery.
The tripartite team treated walk-in patients of Tacloban Doctors Hospital and reached out to nearby Barangays Anibong and Palanog, Tacloban City. The team will likewise conduct medical missions in Palo and Tanuan, Leyte.
As of November 25, the medical mission assisted 949 patients which include 31 cases of anti-tetanus vaccinations, one case of emergency child birth delivery via caesarian section, one case of cholecystectomy and a case of normal child birth delivery. Miscellaneous cases were also treated such as Upper Respiratory Tract infections, trauma cases, wound care/debridement due to infection, hypertension, diabetes, several cases of eclampsia and OB-Gynecological problems, pre-natal care and pediatric cases particularly cough and colds.
PRC chairman Richard J. Gordon thanks these generous volunteers, doctors and partners for theongoing success of this medical mission for the benefit of the ravaged people of Tacloban City. Gordon's special thanks goes to Medical Director Dr. Benjie Alimurung of the Makati Medical Center and Dr. Ignacio Valeriano, President of Tacloban Doctors Medical Center; both of whom very integral to the mission's success.
"We look forward to more partnerships in the future," Gordon said.
