Our second mission to the Philippines was a resounding success according to our volunteers, the hospital staff, and even the mayor of Baguio City.  I wish to thank everyone who helped us collect and organize our surgical supplies as well as those who supported us financially. As with the Guatemala missions all fundraised money goes to pay for patient care expenses. This year BCNU (BC nurses union) donated $5000, which we used to purchase a badly needed electrocautery unit.  Special thanks to Shirley and Michael Maas and their friends with the Bayanihan society for their tireless efforts of collecting and sending supplies, as well as organizing everything from the bus that picked us up at the airport to the weekend R&R at their family beach resort. 

Our team consisted of 7 Physicians, 14 nurses, who worked in OR, PACU, and the surgical ward, and 6 support people who helped sort supplies, devise daily schedules, translated and kept us generally organized..   We assessed 78 patients, who had been pre-selected for us by Baguio General Hospital’s surgical residents, of which we performed surgery on 70 patients and arranged medical management for some of the others.  Our General Surgery team performed laparoscopic cholecystectomies, as well as hernia repairs and thyroidectomies. The Gynecology team performed many hysterectomies and other types of female surgeries.

Baguio General Hospital is a teaching facility and our OR’s were full of physician and nursing students watching and assisting with some of the surgeries. One of our main objectives was to teach the surgical residents how to use their newly donated laparoscopic equipment. and I know that when we left that that objective had been fulfilled.  We also held a lecture on OR technique for the student nurses, a talk on Anesthetic techniques, as well as several workshops for the nursing staff and students on pain management.  Teaching the hospital staff not only helps the indigent patients that have their surgery performed for free, but also leaves behind a bit of knowledge to help others.

Dr Factora, the medical director of Baguio General Hospital has invited us to return for another mission. Stay tuned and check the H4H website for updates.

Link to photos from this mission 

Nancy Martin, Team Leader