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Both medical workers and patients have shown tremendous courage in dealing with the devastation caused by recent typhoons in the Philippines. Dr. Josephine Bundoc reports on the conditions there, and the incredible determination of the survivors:

Dear Everyone,

The Physicians for Peace Walking Free team walked and waded through the aftermath of the typhoon to provide relief goods, medical, surgical and disability assistance to the amputees and wheelchair borne community of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (House without steps) on October 2, 2009.

Truly inspiring indeed is the fact that we were met with warm, happy  and  hopeful faces with only their wounds and broken prosthesis giving us a clue to the damages brought upon them by Typhoon Ondoy! As one of the survivors told us, "We survived it through faith and mind over matter."

Since President Arroyo was expected to arrive at 1 pm, we had to finish the mission before noon for security purposes. Within the time constraints, the Physicians for Peace Amputee Support Group was able to distribute 100 packages of toiletries and food, clean and dress 20 wounds, provide medical consults and medications  to 75 families and screen 28 amputees.

On that day, we also turned over a donation of 10,000 pesos by HaoChin Chua Foundation and 20,000 pesos raised by the Physicians for Peace Amputee Support group for the rehabilitation of their dormitories, homes, and workplace which were neck deep in water.

We returned Oct 19 to measure the amputees for new prosthesis --- fulfilling a promise we made when we had to leave early last Oct 2 as we were pressed to leave the premises.

We will again go back in November to deliver their finished prosthesis so they can regain independent mobility and  facilitate their immediate return to work and productivity!

On behalf of the beneficiaries, we express our appreciation for your unwavering support!

You can support our relief efforts and medical missions in the Philippines - Donate medical equipment or donate medical supplies to our Gifts in Kind Program, or make a monthly gift by becoming a Partner for Peace... To find out the many ways you can contribute to our medical volunteer work, visit http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html 

Today Dr. Penny Bundoc, John Knight, Mr. Henry Knight, and I travelled to Clark Air Base to visit the “Walking Free” Pampanga Project.

 

Upon arrival we were met by Mr. Pepito D. Villanueva, Manager, Special Concerns Office.  “Pep” was a gracious host, and it is obvious that he has a passion for this project. It is through his hard work that he has been able to take very few resources and make this project work. I was extremely happy that I was able to give him a handful of prosthetic knees that I had taken on the flight from our headquarters in Norfolk. These knees will help complete several more above knee prostheses.

 

As we toured the facility, it was evident that it was being run in a very professional and efficient manner. There were rooms set aside for manufacturing the limbs, physical therapy, and training.   The result of everyone’s hard work over the last couple of years was clearly evident.  In a span of less than 2 years, a total of 128 patients have receive prosthetic limbs. The patients that were treated lived in 21 different localities.

 

We were introduced later to Mr. Benigno Ricafort, the President of the Clark Development Corporation. Mr. Ricafort was very enthusiastic about the work that we are doing to help amputees and indicated that he would continue to support our work there.

 

A real indicator of just how much of an impact we have made in the Pampanga area is the fact that people that live far outside the general area come to the clinic to see if they can receive help.

 

Mr. Villanueva provided me with additional information as to the types of items that would be helpful. I told him that we will continue to ship containers full of prosthetic limbs, walkers, canes, crutches, and wheelchairs in an effort to support our friends in Pampanga and help them walk again and live a full life.

 

It is almost 1:00 A.M. Oh by the way it looks like there will be more massive flooding. We are supposed to be hit by more bad weather this weekend. Let’s just hope and pray that somehow it passes us by.
 

You can join Ken in supporting our medical missions in the Philippines - Donate medical equipment or donate medical supplies to our Gifts in Kind Program, or make a monthly gift by becoming a Partner for Peace... To find out the many ways you can support our medical volunteer work, visit http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html 

John Knight, M.P.H., a long time Physicians for Peace volunteer and recipient of our 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award for Mission Support, is currently traveling in the Philippines with Ken Hudson, our Gifts in Kind Manager. He reports on the incredible achievements of the Walking Free Program and gives an update on the situation since the typhoons hit a few weeks ago: 

As you know, our first of 3 "Seeing Clearly" missions was just cancelled in Isabela due to the impassibility of the roads in Northern Luzon. Back to back typhoons have resulted in massive flooding and landslides that have killed hundreds of people in both areas. Unfortunately, The Philippines receives more than its share of natural disasters. But because of this, the people are very resilient and, as always, still have great smiles and attitudes. The first typhoon hit Manila 2 weeks ago and hit home for Physicians for Peace, with the flooding of our Secretary Cherry's house.  She had 10 feet of water in her house, had to spend a night on the roof, and lost many material possessions. The selfless person that she is, Cherry still managed to meet us at the airport, along with Juan and Lyne. This was the first trip to a developing country for my father, Henry and Ken. However, the staff and volunteers here immediately made everyone feel right at home.  

 

Dr. Montero and Lyne are arranging for us to help with the relief efforts in Manila in the time that was allotted for the first mission. Ken did a great job of summarizing our tours of Walking Free and PGH today. My father also had never seen anything like what he saw today. As a Board Member of Duke University Hospital, he had been exposed to a lot of first world medicine but had never truly seen what the have-nots in the world must face when trying to care for themselves and their families. He was truly affected by what he witnessed and will share his experiences with many others. For me, witnessing first-hand these heartbreaking scenes never fails to put things in perspective, energizing me to give more of my future time and resources to help others. After visiting the hot, chaotic & overcrowded pediatric ER, my father and I agreed that had his 2 month prematurely born granddaughter McKenzie been born in such a place, she would probably not be alive today.  

 

While there is so much work to be done in that hospital, the shining star of what we saw was the Physicians for Peace Walking Free Program. The last time I visited it several year ago, all that existed was a concept, a room filled with boxes, very little equipment, and very few patients being served. Fortunately, Dr. Montero, Penny Bundoc & Lyne Abanilla have relentlessly worked to make this program a huge success. Prostheses were being formed while some patients were being fitted and others were "Walking Free". We heard first hand stories from these patients and staff who have been made whole again by Physicians for Peace.  

 

Even though our team is delayed in the hands-on work we will perform, the Good Lord always has a plan.  Today was a chance to see the overall picture firsthand. It was an opportunity to see how much has been done but how much more we can do. We all sat down for a quiet lunch afterward and had great discussions and brainstorming about how we can best help these most deserving Filipinos in the future. Although some ideas may be dreams, Penny told me that she did not think the dream of "Walking Free - Philippines" would be where it is now when we had similar discussions in 2004. With hard the continued hard work of Physicians for Peace's staff and volunteers, dreams do come true!!!

 

We look forward to updating you soon about "Seeing Clearly" missions 2 and 3 which are still on schedule.

 

God Bless You All,

John Knight
 

You can join John in supporting our medical missions in the Philippines - Donate medical equipment or donate medical supplies to our Gifts in Kind Program, or make a monthly gift by becoming a Partner for Peace... To find out the many ways you can support our medical volunteer work, visit http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html 

Ken Hudson, our Gifts in Kind manager, is currently in the Philippines helping out with our on-going programs there, which include Walking Free and Seeing Clearly. His first observations on the ground show why Physicians for Peace is there and the importance of the work of our volunteers...

 

"I was excited to be on my first mission since joining Physicians for Peace in May 2005, and looking forward to participating in a medical mission trip to the Philippines. 

 

Doctor Montero arrived to pick up John Knight, John Knight’s dad, Henry, and myself and then we were off to meet Penny and Pipo Bundoc and Lyne Abanilla at Philippine General Hospital for a guided tour.

 

While I cannot do justice to what I saw with words or pictures I will do my best to provide an overall sense of what is being accomplished there.

 

The main focus of the tour was the prosthetics clinic where the bulk of the work for the “Walking Free” program in Manila takes place.  While Penny and Pipo gave me an education as to their primary needs in the shop they also took the time to introduce some of their patients. 

 

I met  Lea Redreno, who suffers from congenital deformities on every limb.  Lea is working at the “Walking Free” clinic, helping maintain it’s inventory and organization. Lea has a beautiful smile and a great personality even though she has suffered from many personal hardships.

 

Then I had the pleasure of meeting Herbert Renuda, who at the young age of 15 was being fitted for an above the knee prosthesis at the hip. While being fitted, Herbert displayed maturity beyond his years.

 

Then I met several young amputees that also had appointments at the clinic who all had positive attitudes and big smiles for everyone they met.

 

This is proof once again that the Physicians for Peace team and our great volunteers such as Doctor Montero and Lyne Abanilla continue to do great work.

 

After visiting the “Walking Free” area, Penny and Pipo decided to give us a tour through the rest of the hospital. 

 

What I saw was something that I have never witnessed. I saw a hospital that is bursting at the seams. Wherever I went there were extremely long lines of sick people waiting for help.  As soon as you walked into the main screening area you could see that the system was overwhelmed. 

 

One of the scenes was of a woman leaning over her mother who was laying on a cot in pain.  She was busily trying to use a paper fan to try to cool her while her tears were falling as she wondered what illness she was suffering from. I came upon another family that was trying to comfort a young girl that they had barely saved from slipping into a coma. Her supply of insulin had run out, and they were not able to get to Manila in time because of the recent flooding and landslides that had been caused by Typhoons Ondong and Ppepeng. The young physician in training assured me that her patient would probably recover, but that she had suffered a great deal.

 

Particularly troublesome were the number of very young children that I saw that were waiting for treatment. It is hard to say how many there were but virtually all available space was occupied.  The illnesses of these children could range from the common cold to more serious illnesses. 

 

Through all of this, the hard working and dedicated medical professionals like Penny and Pipo and our great volunteers Doctor Montero and Lyne Abanilla impressed me with their great attitudes and their hard work. This is the one piece of the thread that keeps things running at this hospital.

 

Additionally what was perhaps the most inspiring part of what I saw was to witness the strength and courage of the families that stood watch over their loved ones while waiting for help without a single complaint. I will never forget what I saw today, and this experience makes me want to do everything that I can to help the people of the Philippines."

You can join Ken in supporting our medical missions in the Philippines - Donate medical equipment or donate medical supplies to our Gifts in Kind Program, or make a monthly gift by becoming a Partner for Peace... To find out the many ways you can support our medical volunteer work, visit http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html 

Dr. Josephine Budoc of Walking Free Philippines gives this report on the accomplishments of two of our prosthetic and orthotic technicians: 

"The Cambodia School of Prosthetics and Orthotics ( CSPO ) has granted the Philippine Walking Free technicians two (2) full scholarships for its 3 year P & O Category 2 course. Their scholarship covers their $12,000/year tuition fee for 3 years, free board and lodging, allowance, and health insurance. Philippine Airlines has been kind enough to sponsor their roundtrip fares to and from Manila.

The 2 technicians are Edgar Bellosillo and Desiderio Gapasin. Edgar has been the PGH technician (initially for Jaipur and then Physicians for Peace) since 2005... Desiderio is a hip disarticulation prosthesis user who has been a P & O technician since 1990 and is our technician at the Clark Prosthesis Laboratory and Training CEnter.

They are scheduled to leave October 28 for Cambodia and we are truly wishing them all the best in their schooling. May we reap the fruits of their efforts in the P & O school we are trying to establish!"

Congratulations to Edgar and Desiderio, and to all the Walking Free Philippines team for their hard work in continuing to improve care for amputees. If you would like to find out more about our medical missions in the Philippines and other international health programs, visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org.

You can also donate medical equipment or prosthetic devices to the Walking Free Program or make a medical donation to support international health education - Your support changes lives!


Desi at work in the clinic.



Edgar (right) with a patient.

 

Dr. Josephine Bundoc (left) participates in the first national prosthesis Walkathon in Manila.

Dr. Josephine “Penny” Bundoc, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of the Philippines in Manila, is being honored by Physicians for Peace with its 20^th Anniversary Health Care Heroes Award for her work with the organization’s Walking Free program. The success of PFP’s Walking Free program in the Philippines has been due in large part to her energetic and inspiring efforts. Dr. Bundoc works tirelessly to help the neediest patients in the Philippines receive prosthetics to replace lost arms and legs, and ensure ongoing physical rehabilitation to allow them to rebuild their lives with a sense of joy. In 2005, with support and supplies from Physicians for Peace and partners, Dr. Bonduc was instrumental in the opening of a new state-of-the-art Prosthetic and Rehabilitation Center at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and has played a significant role in the success of our medical missions in the Philippines. 

Read more about Penny's work with amputees in these articles...

http://physiciansforpeace.wordpress.com/category/walking-free/

http://www.upibalon.com/story/ibalon-physicians-peace-naga-city

You can help support the work of Dr. Penny Bundoc and our international health programs in the Philippines. When you make a financial contribution or donate medical equipment or prosthetics, you are giving someone access to medical care and the hope of walking again. To learn more about Walking Free and our other programs in the Philippines, visit us on the web... www.physiciansforpeace.org

Since 2006, Physicians for Peace volunteers Dr. Chris Walters and Dr. Keith Goss, have been traveling to Eritrea to perform limb salvage and limb reconstruction surgeries. They have devoted their time, skills, and resources to these surgery missions, helping people with limb deformities and injuries from accidents and disease and giving them the freedom to live normal lives, support their families, and care for their children. 

Now Drs. Walters and Goss and their team are on a mission to bring a type of equipment to Eritrean hospitals which will dramatically improve treatment capabilities and help many patients avoid painful disabilities. When they return to Eritrea in October, they hope to establish a SIGN surgical system, which will allow physicians to radically improve the way they treat patients. Instead of putting fracture patients in traction, potentially causing permanent disability, the SIGN model provides education, training, and orthopedic implants to surgeons, improving the quality of care and allowing patients to heal properly.  help us donate medical equipment - 

Help us donate medical equipment. This system will help countless people avoid needless suffering, but it is not free. Our volunteers need $20,000 to bring this much needed technology to Eritrea. 





Learn more about Dr. Goss and his team and their medical volunteer work at www.limbrescueinternational.org


Find out about Physicians for Peace surgery missions at www.physiciansforpeace.org/surgery.html 

Although the weather did not cooperate with our efforts to collect recycled prosthetics at Harbor Park in Norfolk on Sunday, donations still came in, and publicity from the event was valuable in raising awareness about the importance of recycling prosthetics. The Walking Free Program and its partners were able to educate the public about the lack of amputee care in developing countries and the efforts to train prosthetists, orthotists, and physical therapists in resource-poor areas of the world. Receiving a limb and gaining the ability to walk independently is a life-changing event for someone who has lost a limb to injury, war, or disease. Thank you to all who assisted the Walking Free program in their efforts to help those in need! 

News stories about the limb drive: 






Group Collects Prosthetics to be Sent Overseas

Harbour Park to Host Annual Prosthetic Limb Drive


To donate medical equipment or support our efforts to improve third world health care, visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org

Recycling prosthetics helps amputees in developing countries get the care they need. The Walking Free program has partnered with Hangar Prosthetics and Orthotics, At Home Care, Nauticus, and Old Dominion University to sponsor a limb drive this Sunday from 12pm - 2pm at Harbour Park in Norfolk, Virginia at the Tides baseball game. The limbs and braces collected will be broken down and shipped worldwide to support Walking Free volunteer medical missions. 

 

Bring a prosthetic donation and get free admission to the Tides game!

 

For more information, download the event flyer here.

 

If you would like to donate medical equipment or prosthetics, before or after the event please visit our web site at 

www.physiciansforpeace.org/gifts-in-kind.html

 

To learn more about the Walking Free program and its mission to provide care to amputees in the world's poorest countries, visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org/walkingfree.html

Recognizing the need for recycled prosthetics throughout the world, Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics has recently donated over a dozen prosthetic limbs to the Physicians for Peace Walking Free Program. These limbs will find a second life, helping individuals to walk who would otherwise not have had access to amputee care. Ability will continue to donate prosthetics throughout the year in support of our international health programs.

Each year people throughout the third world, especially children, suffer from accidents and disease that result in amputation. Yet most of the time, treatment and rehabilitation services are unavailable, and prosthetics are rare and costly. Physicians for Peace volunteer medical professionals train prosthetists and physical therapists in their home country so that they can help individuals get the treatment they need. Thanks to the Walking Free Program, many are able to walk on their own for the first time, allowing them to earn a living and start a new life. 

To donate medical equipment such as prosthetics and orthotics, contact our Gifts in Kind Manager at khudson@physiciansforpeace.org or call 757-625-7569 for more information. 

Watch video about Ability and Physicians for Peace and their work to recycle prosthetics:

http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=60861

Read more...

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_columnist.htm?StoryID=88824


Find out more about the Walking Free Program - 
www.physiciansforpeace.org/walkingfree.html

Last month a team of five Physicians for Peace volunteers traveled to Dipolog and Dapitan Cities in the Philippines to reach out to populations with little or no access to vision care. Organizations in the United States donate medical equipment and eyeglasses to make these missions possible. During this trip, a total of 454 patients were examined and given eyeglasses, a simple gift that can greatly improve someone's life! Several hundred school children were also able to undergo vision screening and be identified for future exams. When you support the Physicians for Peace Seeing Clearly Program, you are providing the gift of sight. Your kindness makes a difference!