Eye, Ear, Dental, and Feeding Mission in Albay

Last October 11-15 we welcomed once again the team of RC Canterbury from Melbourne, Australia for a weeklong mission.  There were 21 of them who came this year.

This is our first try also outside of Visayas as we had it in Region 5, in the province of Albay.  We were very lucky to have partnered with a superb Rotary Club of Legazpi West, Elmer Aspe Foundation, and the Dios Mabalos Po Foundation thus a Feeding Program was incorporated in this year's mission, another first ;)

We pre-selected 9 towns of Albay to serve where we believe the need is greater:

1. Bacacay
2. Malilipot
3. Polangui
4. Oas
5. Libon
6. Manito 
7. Jovellar
8. Guinobatan
9. Pio Duran

Simultaneous to the community Eye Screening in all these towns were Ear Screening and Feeding of all students in selected public elementary schools and Dental Education and Teeth Extraction in public high schools.

Result for EYE:

• mature cataract - 104
• immature cataract - 115
• glaucoma - 3
• advanced pterygium - 22
• slight pterygium - 24
• referred to optometrist - 136
• referred to ophthalmologist - 52
• other cases - 52
• reading glasses dispensed - 906
• sunglasses dispensed - 78
• normal eyes - 318
• conjunctivitis - 11

In total we have screened 1,821 persons.


RESULT for EAR and HEARING:

• normal ears - 11,209
• perforation - 24
• otitis media - 224
• fungi - 12
• impacted wax - 5,123
• referred to ENT - 2

In total, we have screened 16,414 ears; 8,207 school children


Result for DENTAL:
There were a total of 734 teeth extractions and 2,350 toothbrushes given away.  Big thanks to Sharni  Bartlett  and all the members of Rotaract Club South Brisbane, Australia as they funded all the supplies needed for Dental work, Dios Mabalos Po Foundation for donating some toothbrushes, Rotary Club of Bacolod North as well as Hapee Lamoiyan Corporation for donating toothbrushes and toothpastes, and head lice treatment shampoo, and of course for Bong Aspe and his team of dentists. 


Result for FEEDING:
More than 14,000 school children were fed by Dios Mabalos Po Foundation.

It was indeed a very worthwhile and successful project.  We are very grateful for the new partnerships and for the people we have met and whom we became friends with.  Special thanks also to NAVFORSOL, TOG 5 Phil Air Force, and to Col. Gems Molina and his team for giving us security in all the places that we went to. 

Also worth mentioning are Pres. Dan Daz, Engr. Bert Recamunda of RC Legazpi West for superb support that they extended, Tita Med Villanueva and her wonderful team of volunteer nurses who acted as interpreters, to Legaspi Eye Center who will take care of all the referred patients, and to all others that we may have forgotten to mention BIG THANKS for making this all happen.  Until next year again ;)

Community Screening in Brgy. Granada, Bacolod City

Our kick off activity for 2010 was a big medical mission in barangay Granada and we were asked to join and do eye and ear screening together with all other teams.  I was asked by Atty. Palermo who is running for Vice Mayor of Bacolod City come this election.  Didn't hesitate to say 'yes' as she is known to us in helping groups of people with disabilities.  I get to join her with Melchor once in a while in their radio program in Veritas especially if we need to campaign or raise awareness on some important things.

The event fell on a Sunday and since people from our Visayas hEARing Center is working until Saturday, they chose to have Sundays for their rest and so I decided to come with Olive believing we can handle it; anyway it was just for a half day.  I was wrong.  But not completely.;_)  When we arrived in the venue, covered court of the barangay, it was crowded with patients.  We nearly missed our lunch as we wanted to finish them all but we finished at almost 5pm.  All the other teams have gone and only us were left.  We have no heart to turn down the patients who patienly queued, might have missed their lunch too, and never complained why we were so slow.  For what can you do if there is only the 2 of us with over 300 of them?

 Atty. Palermo and her team, MoNoPal (Monico, Novero, Palermo) sponsored the reading glasses of those who need it and of course all cataract patients we saw are due for further check up in the clinic setting.

Found also a few children with eye problems.  And they are all referred to our partner pedia ophtha.

I like this particular project because for once politicians were there to help (i hope not only because it's campaigning time but also after they have won the battle) and lots of people came.  I don't mind networking with politicians so long as they mean well and they're taking care of its people.  If this is what it takes for them to know the common problems of its people and to be aware of our existence then yes, we can work together for the common good of all and together we can achieve more. ;_)

So where's next?  I will let you know. ;)