July 16, 2024
Tzu Chi wraps up successful 3-day medical mission in Palo, Leyte
By Dorothy Castro
On June 11-13, Tzu Chi Foundation provided free medical care in a medical mission at the Leyte Academic Center in Palo, Leyte. The three-day medical mission helped address different medical concerns through general medicine, pediatrics, dental medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, acupuncture, and ophthalmology (free reading glasses).
Three hundred people dedicated their time and effort, providing care for the patients. Two hundred five Tzu Chi volunteers from Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Zamboanga worked alongside Tacloban-based volunteers who assisted in organizing and managing the medical mission from registration all the way to distributing medicines.Twenty-six Tzu Chi scholars experienced lending their hand in a medical mission for the first time, conquering language barriers between volunteer doctors and patients and assisting in many areas of the mission alongside translators.
Thirty-two volunteers assisted as well from Kumon, Leyte Normal University, University of the Philippines Tacloban, and St. Scholastica’s College, Tacloban. For these students, it was an opportunity to serve their fellow community members.
A total of seventy-six volunteer doctors including forty doctors as well as eighteen dentists, and thirty-eight pharmacists lent their expertise in ensuring the wellbeing of their patients in both the general medicine area at the Leyte Academic Center and the surgery area at the Leyte Provincial Hospital. This was the result of the camaraderie and volunteerism of medical practitioners from Leyte, and Tzu Chi International Medical Association co-founding member Dr. Josefino “Jo” Qua.
Molita Chua, the overall coordinator of the Palo medical mission, had a heart full of gratitude as she thought of every person who helped make this three-day event possible. She thanked the volunteers and medical practitioners from many regions of the Philippines who embodied the spirit of love and compassion by taking time from their busy lives to help people.
But Chua’s greatest gratitude was towards the patients. “Some of them traveled two to three hours by car, jeepney, or walking, just to get here and hopefully be treated by our doctors. It is so touching,” she said.
Donnabel Malate went to the medical mission worried about her young daughter Hannah Joy. Hannah Joy developed bumps on her head that were painful and gave her the occasional fever. After being recommended for further check-up to address her daughter’s cyst, she was given medicine for Hannah Joy’s immune system and occasional fever. “We were able to get free medicine, I feel happy,” she shared.
Dental patient Roland Dolor also felt the joy of getting his tooth extracted, which eased the pain that has been bothering him for some time. He recalls his tooth extraction procedure as calming and relaxing, and was the happiest as he claimed his medicine afterwards. “It’s like I won the lottery,” he shared.
Eugene Tan, the Palo, Leyte coordinator for the medical mission, conducted the ocular inspections and planning in Palo with Tzu Chi Tacloban while the Tzu Chi Manila team was still planning the medical mission in Manila. During the three-day medical mission, he assisted many patients at the registration area and helped alongside overall coordinator Molita Chua.
“It’s truly a privilege for us,” Tan expressed. Looking back at the months-long planning of the medical mission in Leyte, he saw this three-day mission as the culmination of all his hard work. “It’s very tiring, but we are really happy to serve. My own principle is ‘When will we be able to help?’ [and] this is the time when we have the capacity to help,” he continued.
True to Tzu Chi’s vision of empowering people in need so that they too can help others, many of the patients during the medical mission helped in any way they could. Patients brought with them their Tzu Chi coin cans filled with small change to donate.
What makes this gesture even more meaningful is knowing how much in need they are, but they continue to help others for as long as they can. Helping others in need is one of the principles that Noel and Maria Theresa Tiozon continue to follow. Ever since Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck Leyte in 2013, they have made a continuous effort to give back to Tzu Chi by donating the contents of their coin cans regularly, as a symbol of gratitude after receiving help from the foundation during those difficult times.
The three-day medical mission was successfully completed with the coordinated efforts of Tzu Chi Foundation, the local government unit of Palo, Leyte, the Leyte Provincial Hospital, along with many volunteers from various schools and institutions.
When asked about his motivation in helping others, Tan explained: “In my own capacity, I have to exert effort to be able to give back, also for Tzu Chi, because we believe in what they are doing.”
Everyone participates in the opening prayer at the medical mission in Palo, Leyte.
Throughout the three-day medical mission, the days always started with a prayer.
A child prays during the medical mission.
Tzu Chi volunteers lead the opening prayer.
A patient is assessed by a volunteer medical practitioner at the registration area.
A patient undergoes a thorough consultation at the general medicine area.
Tzu Chi International Medical Association doctor Bea Ang assists a patient.
General medicine doctors assess and prescribe medicine for the patients’ needs.
A patient pays attention as the doctor notes down instructions for her medication.
A volunteer doctor assists a general medicine patient with her medical concerns.
A pediatric patient receives a full consultation.
A Tzu Chi volunteer helps a pediatric patient’s mom hold her son.
A happy child smiles while being assessed during the medical mission.
Volunteers at the dental area manage and organize the dental tools used for tooth fillings and extractions.
A patient undergoes tooth extraction.
In the dental area, an allergy test was conducted to ensure that medicines are safely administered to the patient.
Dental patient Roland Dolor gets his tooth extracted.
Dentists work together in helping the patient during the tooth extraction procedure.
A dental patient happily poses after her tooth extraction.
Dentists also gave free dental fillings for patients during the medical mission.
Volunteer dentists pose together for a photo at the medical mission.
Dr. Jose Ramon “Chito” Guzman treats a patient with acupuncture.
Dr. Regina Talavera treats a patient with Ventosa suction cups to alleviate back pain.
A volunteer OB-GYN doctor (right) assesses a patient.
An ophthalmology patient gets her eyes assessed for free eyeglasses.
A patient in the ophthalmology area of the medical mission gets his eyes assessed for free reading glasses.
The pharmacists carefully look into the medicines needed by patients and give instructions on how to properly take them.
Tzu Chi volunteer Rosa So arranges the medicine in the pharmacy area.
A pharmacist teaches a patient how to take the medicines and vitamins properly.
A pharmacist reads the patient’s prescribed medication.
Tzu Chi brought different kinds of vitamins and medication for the 5,444 patients of the medical mission.
Medicines are properly stored and checked by a Tzu Chi volunteer.
Medicines that need to be mixed are properly prepared by a Tzu Chi volunteer.
A Tzu Chi volunteer calls out the patients' names as he helps in collecting their prescriptions.
Tzu Chi volunteers helping at the pharmacy area of the medical mission pose together for a photo.