By Aquiles Zonio
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – For more than a year, an eight-year old boy Christian Mark Era of Fatima village here has been suffering from hernia.
May Era, mother of the patient, claimed they could not afford to pay P70,000 for his surgical operation.
“Our income could hardly make both ends meet. But we were so grateful for the surgical mission sponsored by Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao,” Era said.
She added that “God really works in a mysterious ways. He helped us through Congressman Pacquiao.”
Pacquiao digged from his own pocket to shoulder the air fare, food and accommodation of volunteer nurses, doctors and surgeons who joined in the surgical mission.
The 45-man team, led by Dr. Domingo Alvear, president and founder of World Surgical Foundation (WSF), arrived here on Sunday to start the screening of patients.
Alvear claimed they are targeting to serve 250 indigent patients from Sarangani and Gensan.
The actual medical and surgical mission started on Monday and will end up on Saturday.
“Tutulong lang din tayo, lubos-lubusin na natin. We have been doing this for two consecutive years already,” Pacquiao said.
Screening of patients and surgical operations were done in eight different operating rooms of a government-owned General Santos City Hospital.
Among the cases served include hernia, bowel issues, anorectal repair, penile malformations, cleft lip and cleft palate, goiter (non-toxic), thyroid, bladder repair, TURPS (prostate/ kidney), hydroceles (prostate), tumor, cysts and hysterectomies.
The WSF has been travelling in different parts of the country providing free medical and surgical services for about 15 years already.
Dr. Arvin Alejandro, Sarangani Provincial Health Officer, said that aside from extending free medical and surgical services, WSF also donated medical supplies, medicines and equipment for the province.
Alejandro further bared that another surgical operation by a Canadian Mission would be held starting February 24 until the first week of March.
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