Medical Missions Philippines

From the Field - Manila, Philippines
Sent in by Kelly A.

On my 24 hour plus travel from Manila to Norfolk VA, I have the luxury of time.  I hit the random selection on my iTunes, and I am now listening to Colin Hay sing “Beautiful World” on Man At Work.   I was privileged to have witnessed a part of this beautiful world this past week while on my first mission with Physicians For Peace (PFP).  Beauty was seen in the generosity displayed by our Filipino hosts while taking part of the Walking Free Mission.  This magnificence seemed to overtake the spirits of those whom I met along the way, as seen in their ingenuity and drive.  I witnessed this in the amputees that were present at the clinics as well as the doctors, Physical Therapists and mental health workers I encountered.  

Sent in by Teodoro J. Herbosa MD Philippine General Hospital University of the Philippines, Manila
In response to our request for updates on Physicians for Peace Philippines and our traveling mission team, Ted sent us an update assuring us the group is safe and still forging forward in the midst of this natural disaster.

"The PFP Team from the USA is safe and continue their humanitarian work despite the typhoon. After lunch, the team met with Cabinet Secretary Jesse Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government. We will try to collaborate somehow. After that, the team proceeded to the National Childrens' Hospital. We have donated hospital equipment to them and the VP shunts (ventriculoperitoneal shunting is surgery to relieve increased pressure inside the skull due to excess cerebrospinal fluid on the brain) for hydrocephalus.

The hospital had been running on generator power. (I had no electricity in my home from midnight last night until 5pm today) The team distributed sandwiches and juice to the children confined at the hospital. The hospital officials gave us a wish list of their hospital which includes automated external defibrillator for children and ventilators for children.

News Flash

Contrary to predictions, Manila got hit dead on. Lots of flooding and missing fishermen. Typhoon Conson slammed ashore with winds of 75 miles per hour late Tuesday. It weakened into a tropical storm as it crossed the Luzon Island and into the capital, Manila. The storm raged aggressively, leaving downed branches, trees and injured people. 90% of the power is out and may not be restored until Friday. 

Heard from Penny and the team is safely tucked in the hotel which is being powered by a generator.

Message from Monika Bridgforth - Physicians for Peace Staff in the Field
July 13, 2010
Well it's 4:30 am and I've been wide awake all night. I've gotten about 10 hours of sleep TOTAL since leaving Norfolk on Saturday. Otherwise, everything is great. Lots of great stuff going on with Walking Free.

Day 1There is a great collaboration with a mobile phone company and health workers for amputee screenings piloting now. Kelly, the amputee art therapist, was interviwed by several media outlets yesterday and she should be on international Philippine cable station show airing today. Rest of the team is doing well. The physiatrist arrived late last nite, I hope. More later - need to get a couple of hours of sleep while I can.

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
Goodman & Co. just completed the audit for our 2009 Fiscal Year - marking another successful “unqualified audit”, the best type of report an organization can receive from an external auditor, for Physicians for Peace. You can find our audited financial statements and our 2009 annual report on our website at www.physiciansforpeace.org/about_financials.html.  

MEDICAL MISSIONS
Spring was a busy quarter for our medical operations team as they managed complex logistics, diplomatically coordinated with host country partners, and prepared our eager volunteers for missions. The completed second quarter missions were:

Destination	Program
Asmara, Eritrea	Specialized Surgery
Deschapelles, Haiti	Walking Free - multiple missions
Fes, Morocco	Specialized Surgery
Leipzip, Germany	Walking Free - international conference
Diyarbakir, Turkey	Walking Free
Santiago, Dominican Republic	Maternal & Child Health - Resource Mothers
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	Walking Free
San Salvador, El Salvador	Burn Care
Monrovia, Liberia	Maternal & Child Health

Mission highlights include:

• The first off-pump open heart surgery was performed by the Morocco mission team
• Our Burn Consortium partner inaugurated a new burn clinic in El Salvador
• Our Walking Free Philippines Director, Dr. Josephine Bundoc, was asked by the WHO to speak about the challenge of meeting the needs of amputees in developing countries at the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) conference in Germany
• Julie Philips, MPH, presented her evaluation of the Walking Free program at the ISPO conference as well

MEDICAL SUPPLIES
We have received significant donations of medical supplies and equipment during the 2nd quarter to help our Walking Free, Seeing Clearly, Burn Care and Specialty Surgery programs. As a result of our highly-publicized collection drive for Haiti’s disabled, we have to date received over 1,000 boxes (about 25,000 lbs.) of high quality prosthetic components from 244 Hanger Prosthetic offices in 44 states. Many other organizations continue to donate items for our Walking Free program.

HAITI
Our efforts in Haiti continue as we meet the current rehabilitation needs of the amputees through an amputee clinic being managed at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in the Central Plateau by Hanger Orthopedics, Christian Medical Mission Board, and other founding members of the Haitian Amputee Coalition, including Physicians for Peace. Physicians for Peace has sent numerous physical therapists and shipments of crutches and high quality prosthetic components to the clinic. The clinic has produced over 450 prostheses for amputee victims, more than any other site in Haiti. In fact, the donations have been so generous that we have now actually received more donations than Haiti can use. As a result, these donations will be directed to other developing countries where we have ongoing relationships and programs that can utilize them effectively.

Physicians for Peace continues to stay true to our mission of improving healthcare capacity through education and partnerships with local organizations to increase impact. Nowhere is this more important than in Haiti, where the needs of this “generation of amputees” will continue into the foreseeable future. To this end, Physicians for Peace is embarking on the following strategies:


We are proud to announce that Hanger Orthopedic Group, co-founder of the Haitian Amputee Coalition and our long-term partner in our Walking Free program, was honored for its charitable relief efforts in Haiti by InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations.

Physicians for Peace is a member of InterAction, and nominated Hanger Orthopedic Group for the Corporate Recognition for Humanitarian Assistance award for their outstanding work in spearheading the Haitian Amputee Coalition. They were in good company with the other honorees, which included JPMorgan Chase, Toys“R”Us, Inc., Whole Foods Markets, and American Express.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Brighton – Physicians for Peace received a donation of $58,000 from highly regarded women’s fashion designer Brighton as a result of their “Peace Charming” winter campaign. Customers were given the chance to vote for one of four charities for a Brighton donation, and Physicians for Peace received the most votes nationwide of the 4 charities selected this year.

Eastern Virginia Medical School – 4th year students medical students Ketzela Marsh and Brad Holbrook completed their 4th year rotation with a Physicians for Peace internship, including a mission to Eritrea. This is part of an on-going partnership with EVMS, including a scholarship opportunity.

George Washington University – our partnership with GWU medical faculty to provide specialty post-graduate medical education in Eritrea has officially ended. We are exploring other possibilities for joint ventures.

Old Dominion University – our on-going partnership with ODU includes a strong relationship with the College of Health Sciences, whose faculty and students have been very involved in our Walking Free program and now the Dental Care program. We are currently exploring a partnership among Physicians for Peace, ODU and the Universidad Autónoma de Nicaragua in Leon to develop a dental hygiene curriculum, which would be the first in Latin America.

American Red Cross – Physicians for Peace held a successful meeting recently to discuss partnering on a blood banking initiative in Mali.

International Society of Ultrasound Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) and the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) – in our quest to most effectively bring together the resources needed to create positive health outcomes, Physicians for Peace is facilitating a partnership between ISUOG and MCI for potential projects in Ghana.

Family Health International – a fall return mission to Ethiopia is planned for our on-going partnership.

RECENT EVENTS

April 12 – Haiti Day at GWU. Physicians for Peace President and CEO Ron Sconyers was asked to address the needs of the disabled in Haiti as part of a panel discussion hosted by The George Washington University Medical Center. The guest of honor for the Forum was Haiti’s first lady.

April 25 - Taste of India in Norfolk. Physicians for Peace information booth at the event. Physicians for Peace has received generous support for our medical mission work from the local Indian community.

May 15 – Zach Collett’ s began his ambitious Walk for Haiti at the US Capitol in Washington DC on April 12th, and ended at Bicentennial Park in Miami on May 15, where he addressed a crowd of 15,000 Haitians at their Compas Festival. Zach, , a student at Southern Virginia University, chose Physicians for Peace as his charity of choice for his Walk.

June 9 – Dr. Jyoti Upadhyay, a volunteer pediatric urologist on the Morocco mission presented a Mission Debrief in Norfolk.

June 11- our June Board of Trustees Dinner featured:
- a touching SKYPE presentation about her Haiti mission from physical therapist Mary Anne Kramer-Urner,
- an overview of the recent Walking Free conference in the Dominican Republic aimed at identifying best practices in sharing rehabilitation skills and knowledge across Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) by Dr. Gail Grisetti,
- a heartfelt appeal for funding by local Norfolk restaurateur and Moroccan native Omar Boukhriss, - and a husband and wife tag team presentation about the Morocco Surgical mission by anesthesiologist Dr. Dean Giacobbe and photographer Kris Giacobbe.

June 12 – Physicians for Peace Board of Trustees meeting. We are pleased to announce that new trustees elected to the board, effective October 2, include:
- Lawrence B. Colen M.D., F.A.C.S. - Norfolk Plastic Surgery, P.C. and Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery (Plastic & Reconstructive) at Eastern Virginia Medical School
- Maurice Jones - President and Publisher of The Virginian-Pilot
- Carmen Hooker Odom - President of the Milbank Memorial Fund
- Ivan Sable - Chairman of the Hanger/Ivan R. Sabel Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hanger Orthopedic Group

We are also pleased that Eid B. Mustafa, M.D., F.A.C.S. has agreed to serve once again as a Trustee.

SNEAK PEEK – UPCOMING EVENTS
Physicians for Peace is moving its headquarters on West Bute Street to 500 East Main Street on the 9th Floor. The move will be completed on July 31. All phone and fax numbers will remain the same.

The 5th annual Physicians for Peace Gala Reception will be held on Saturday October 2, 2010. President Bill Clinton is the recipient of this year’s Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award for his international work, especially in Haiti and in Asia after the Tsunami. Please reserve the date and contact Sallie Ray at sray@physiciansforpeace.org for corporate sponsorship opportunities or live auction donations.

APROQUEN (Asociación Pro-niños Quemados de Nicaragua) in Managua, Nicaragua will host the Burn Care Consortium’s annual meeting in August. The Consortium includes burn clinics in eight Caribbean and Latin American countries and was formed as the successful next step in the Burn Care program established by Physicians for Peace in the region.  

Fun{run}RAISER will be a combination 8K, half marathon, and full marathon Physicians for Peace team racing in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The team has a set a fundraising goal of $50K to support the medical missions for Physicians for Peace volunteers. Click here if you would like to support our race for health.

Our Medical Operations team is busy planning (and our development department is identifying donations to fund) upcoming missions to:

Upcoming Destination	Program
Guayaquil, Ecuador	Specialized Surgery
Leon, Nicaragua	Dental Program
Manila, Philippines	Walking Free
Dilla and Adigrat, Ethiopia	Specialized Surgery
Manila/Zamboanga, Philippines	Seeing Clearly
Managua, Nicaragua	Burn Care
Lilongwe/Blantyre, Malawi	Maternal & Child Health
San Salvador, El Salvador	Burn Care
Ramallah, West Bank	Specialized Surgery
Nagpur, India	Maternal & Child Health
Santa Cruz, Bolivia	Specialized Surgery

Success in the Philippines Walking Free program is marked by two recent events. We are proud to announce the recent selection of Dr. Josephine Bundoc, co-director of the Physicians for Peace – Philippines Walking Free program by the World Health Organization to present a Philippines Case Study as part of a international conference session on the “Challenges of Offering Prosthetics and Orthotics services in Developing Countries.”

Dr. Bundoc spoke in Leipzig, Germany at the 13th Annual International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics conference May 10-15. This honor is just the latest in a long list of well-deserved recognitions bestowed on the Philippines Walking Free program, which was formally established in 2007, with Drs. Josephine and Rafael Bundoc as joint directors of the Manila clinic.

With an estimated 1.2 million amputees in the Philippines, the need was great, and the clinic has made great headway in providing education, training and services to meet those needs. Over the past three years, there have been many heartwarming stories of success as patients in remote areas of the Philippines finally had access to the physical therapy and prosthetics care they needed. We wanted to share a recent story with you…

...Diana was born with deficient arms and legs and barely stands 4 feet tall when she "walks" on her knees. Many are amazed when they learn that she is a social worker facilitating the health and disability needs of the indigent folks of Antique.

Confident and bubbly, her only burden is her persistent neck pain because in all her 24 years, she always had to "look up" to people. Hope of relief came when Handicap International's Hilwai Boat docked in Antique and fabricated prostheses for Diana's legs. Unfortunately, the artificial legs proved heavy and cumbersome for Diana that after 3 days use, she was back to "walking" with her self-made leather cushioned knee socks. Thus, when Physicians for Peace Walking Free offered Diana a pair of prosthesis, reluctance was written all over her face. The overwhelming support by the Antique Association of Disabled Persons, Mayor Molina of San Jose and Governor Javier of Antique turned Diana's skepticism into overwhelming excitement.

A very challenging case indeed. The Physicians for Peace Walking Free team in PGH designed a special prosthesis for Diana's extremely short, below knee congenital stumps. After two weeks of casting, revision, and trials, Prototype in Philippine Prosthetics 2 (2PiPP2) was born. One week into training, Diana proved to be a real trooper and wanted very much to go home to Antique because in a matter of 3 days, she would be on leave without pay from work. The Physicians for Peace Walking Free team wanted to see how the PiPP2 would fare in the rocky terrain of Antique and how much energy Diana can muster in using PiPP2 to and from work.

Physicians for Peace Announces its Partnership with VonZipper Eyewear

Diane Strout (center), Chair of Physicians for Peace's Global Nurse Education Committee, making friends with nurses from Algeria, Philippines, Egypt and Libya during a recent mission to Libya International Medical University in Benghazi.

 

In honor of our 20th anniversary,we have been recognizing those whose work has contributed to the success of Physicians for Peace. It would be impossible to talk about the heroes of medical volunteer work without giving credit to the nurses who devote their time, hard work, and expertise to Physicians for Peace programs.

Nurses are a vital part of every surgery mission, but that is only the beginning of the important contributions they provide. As an organization focused on medical education, we could not do the work we do without the help of volunteer nurses. The Physicians for Peace Global Nurse Education Committee has developed curriculae for teaching a variety of medical skills in resource-poor settings. Creating these replicable programs in medical education has enabled thousands of medical professionals in the developing world to gain life-saving information which they have used to improve the quality of care in their communities. These training programs, which cover everything from midwifery skills to treatment of pediatric burns, have also allowed more volunteers to effectively teach around the world, reaching more people in need.

The Global Nurse Education Committee (GNEC), part of the Physicians for Peace Medical Operations Committee (MOC), is comprised of nurses practicing in a variety of fields, representing hospitals, universities, and medical schools throughout Virginia. But its members are not only concerned with training and academia. They are the ones on the ground in the developing world, working side by side with their in-country counterparts caring for patients, delivering medical supplies and medicines, and helping to establish self-sustaining clinics and treatment centers around the world. These ambassadors of international health education also exchange cultural awareness and develop valuable friendships. 

Their on-going work is invaluable to the mission of Physicians for Peace, and we honor them as our heroes! 

We have posted many stories from our recent medical mission to the Philippines. Our volunteers worked with patients in our on-going programs there, Walking Free and Seeing Clearly. Their trip was even more important because they were able to lend a hand with relief efforts in the aftermath of the typhoons that had hit the area only a week before. Ken Hudson, Physicians for Peace Gifts in Kind Manager, was there to witness a population bonding together in the face of loss and tragedy. He shares his personal story of what it was like trying to deliver food and water to families in need:

The first couple of days of our mission to the Philippines focused on the “Walking Free” program and how we could better meet the needs of its patients. We had visited the facilities at PGH (Philippine General Hospital) and Clark Air Field. Today would be different since we would be participating in a relief effort which is something that we normally do not do - Physicians for Peace is an organization that focuses primarily on medical education.

During this part of the mission we were supposed to visit the area of the Philippines called Northern Luzon.  Unfortunately we were not able to do so because of the damage that the area had sustained from typhoons Ondong and Pepeng. Lyne Abanilla, PFP’s representative on the ground in the Philippines, asked our team if we would like to help hand out relief supplies to victims of the recent flooding caused by the typhoons. The effort would be in Pasig which is part of Metro Manila. We jumped at the chance to help.

We meet Lyne at the Manila Bulletin which is where she works. The Manila Bulletin is the nation’s second oldest newspaper and claims the second largest circulation in the Phlippines. The paper is located in the historic Intramuros section of Manila.

When we arrive we are noisily greeted by a room full of volunteers that are busy packing the supplies that will be taken to Pasig. The volunteers include Rotarians, business owners, and doctors. The volunteers are eagerly making and packing peanut butter sandwiches. We quickly pitch in, and in no time everything is finished and ready for transport. Once loaded, we head for the police station to pick up our police escort and the truck that will transport the supplies and the volunteers.

Once we get to Pasig, we are greeted by our security escorts. Our truck that will carry the volunteers and supplies is a standard troop/personnel carrier. There will be seats for 8 people but about a dozen or so of the volunteers will have to stand up during the trip with only the wire from the surrounding cage to hang on to.

We are escorted by two police vehicles as we leave the compound. As we slowly make our way through traffic we notice that we are waved through at every intersection by the local traffic cops. Apparently word has been sent ahead in order to help ease our way through the heavy traffic.

The traffic, which is always backed up, becomes even harder to work our way through. We realize that this is due to the roads being closed due to the flooding and landslides. Then traffic comes to an abrupt halt. Right in front of us is a section of road that is completely submerged. Our escorts slowly ease their way through the water and for a while look as if they are getting ready to float away. We are nervous and are sure that they are not going to make it but eventually they are out of the water. As we inch our way forward, we are greeted by people in boats and tricycles. Some people are actually swimming or wading in the dirty water. To the left of us we notice personnel bridges made of two by fours supported by wooden bases that have been hastily constructed so that people can get in and out of the area. This is a scene that I had never witnessed and am once again awestruck at the ingenuity of the Filipino people.

Once we make it out of the water we arrive at our destination. Suddenly we are greeted by a large crowd that starts cheering and waving. These are the people that we have been sent to help.

Suddenly we are out of the truck and on the ground. The supplies are taken off of the truck and moved to a gymnasium that will be the main distribution point. There are also a large number of people in the gym. We are told that the people outside have suffered some damage to their homes but their homes are still habitable. The people inside the gym have lost most of their possessions and their homes were destroyed or almost completely destroyed.

While everyone is busy getting the supplies ready for distribution I grab my camera and spot a set of stairs inside the gym where I can get a few good pictures of what is going on inside. As soon as I get to the top of the stairs, a door flies open and I am greeted by a young man.  I realize that I am invading someone’s “home”. But instead of being angry, the young man asks if I can take a picture of his family. I agree and suddenly they are all in front of me eagerly posing for the camera. Once again, here is a family that instead of focusing on their terrible loss, are instead trying to have fun by posing for a picture.

I quickly turn around and start snapping pictures of the scene on the gym floor. The sight that appears before me is shocking. These are families that have been dislocated. It looks as if some of them had little or no time to grab anything of value. Dirty blankets and sheets have been erected in an attempt at privacy. Some of the people look as if they do not have any clean clothes. Children are running in and out of the makeshift dwellings playing and laughing. The crowd is starting to murmur with anticipation of a chance to receive some water and a little bit of food.

As I make my way to the floor and start walking in and out of the dwellings, I am greeted by calls of “hello sir”,  “good evening sir”, and “how are you doing sir”.  Everyone has a smile as I greet them.

After taking pictures for a few minutes I notice that Lyne has the volunteers ready to hand out the supplies to the people inside the gym. I run over and grab a big box of bottled water and drag it on the floor as someone else passes out the bottles. We are told to try to limit each family to one bottle. We need to make sure that everyone, including the people outside, receives their fair share of supplies. The first box empties rather quickly and then we start working on a second box of water. Suddenly people start running up to me and asking “tubig please”, water please. Though I know that every family should have received a bottle of water I cannot turn them down. What if their family is very large? How long has it been since they had fresh drinking water? What if they have small children? So I give them some more.  Once again I hear many “thank you sirs” and “salamat po”. Then I spot Doc Montero who is also busy handing out water. Someone is asking him to limit the amount of water that he is giving away. He shouts back that the children keep asking him for water and how can he turn them down. My thoughts exactly.

Eventually mats and blankets are also passed out. A small amount of cooked noodles and bread with peanut butter is given to each family. We are finished handing out supplies to the “residents” of the gym.

Now we shift to the people waiting outside. Everyone is standing in two lines. The supplies start moving down the line but we need to move a little quicker. These people have been waiting for quite some time and we want to make sure that they get their fair share. Lyne is urging everyone to move a little quicker. We certainly don’t want anyone to think that they are going to be left out. It seems that the supplies move a little quicker this time and before we know it we are finished. Through all of the commotion there is no pushing, shoving, fighting or cursing. Everyone is well-behaved and courteous.

Night has come, so we start to gather the few supplies that we have left and put them on the truck. As we make our way to the truck to leave we are greeted with “thank you ate” (older sister), “thank you kuya” (older brother), “thank you sir” or salamat po.  Some of the volunteers are on the truck. As I get ready to climb on I hear a child call out “tanapay sir”, “bread please sir”. I notice a box of bread at the end of the truck. I hand the little boy a roll. Then where there was one hand there are now two. So I hand out two more rolls. Now there are four more hands stretched out toward me, so I give up four more rolls. Now there are six and then eight more hands. So I hand out more bread. The people inside the truck are telling me that we need to leave because it is getting late. Suddenly there is a hand around my right arm and then one on my left. Then there is a hand from behind and then I am in the truck.

As we start to leave we pass by a crowd of people. Some of them are cheering while others are waving. I hear some goodbyes and few more salamats and then we are gone.

Our trip out of the flooded area is a bit quicker since it is late and there is a lot less traffic. Once again we receive a free pass because of our escort and because of our mission.

Once we arrive back at the police station it is decided that we will all meet somewhere to eat. We are all thirsty, hungry, and tired. The restaurant of choice is Jolibees. This is the Philippines version of KFC.

When I receive my order and start to eat, I can’t help but wonder how easy it is for me to take for granted that I have the ability to eat anything that I want at anytime but that there were going to be many mouths tonight that would not be fed. Even though I finish my meal, it seems that it is a little harder to swallow than usual.

P.S. - At some point during the relief mission in Pasig a woman handed me a note. The note had her name and phone number. On it she stated that her daughter had scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and asks for help. When I meet Dr. Pipo Bundoc the next day and ask him if he could help he tells me “I can do this”.  Once again our friends in the Philippines will come through.

_________________________________________________

The work of Physicians for Peace to improve third world health care is vital to those in need. Find out more about our medical missions in the Philippines and how you can make a medical donation to support our international health programs there - visit www.physiciansforpeace.org 

We have posted reports about how the The Physicians for Peace mission to the Philippines this month brought support to the Walking Free program and assistance to typhoon survivors. Another important aspect of this mission was working with the Seeing Clearly Program, as volunteer John Knight reports below:

 

We had wonderful missions in Smokey Mountain, Manila and Madrid, Surigao del Sur, and Mindinao. This occurred after an impromptu disaster relief trip to a flooded area of Manila. Saturday, we made sandwiches and carried other food, sleeping supplies, and clothing to an area of Manila that was still flooded from the recent typhoon. It was an amazing experience for all involved. Hundreds of grateful people were helped. Words and pictures could never describe the resilience of these people amidst such dire circumstances. 

The following 2 days consisted of the opening of the PFP/Rotary Health Center and a "Seeing Clearly" eye exam and eyeglass mission in Smokey Mountain. It is named so because it was once a large garbage dump site where 20,000 people had been living. Since the closing of the dump, they now live in public housing highrises. We had many volunteer optometrists working alongside volunteers from the community we were serving. Several hundred patients were examined and the majority of these received prescription eyeglasses. Many of the others received diagnoses and were referred for future surgeries. Those prescriptions that we did not have will be made by Dr. Buniel in Madrid and sent back to Manila for proper fitting by the local optometrist.

On Tuesday, we took an all day trip by plane and van to Madrid in Mindinao to see the site of our permanent "Seeing Clearly" clinic for another 2 day clinic using the same model as the previous mission. Approximately 500 people were served during this mission. As always, patients travelled from near and far to avail of the services. Everyone was so kind and appreciative in that area that I now feel like that is my home in The Philippines. We promised to continue supporting the work of Dr. Buniel and also to return again soon.        

This was my sixth PFP trip to the Philippines and best so far. I could not have asked for more than to share such an experience with my father, Dr. Montero, Dr. Buniel, and all the other fine people that made this mission a great success. We will now go back to the States with a better understanding of the needs here and an invigorated spirit to do all we can at home to help these our brothers and sisters in The Philippines!

John Knight

You can help those in need by supporting our medical volunteer work and our on-going medical missions in the Philippines. Whether you wish to donate medical supplies or join or monthly giving program, there are many ways to contribute to our international health programs. Find out more at http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html

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.

The winners of this years Medical Diplomat Awards were announced at this year's "Celebrate the Nations" Gala Reception. We are proud to honor each of these volunteers for the amazing contributions they have made to Physicians for Peace programs, as well as their hard work and dedication, healing countless lives around the world. 

The winners are...

Physician Category - Dr. Chris Walters

Dr. Chris Walters, who specializes in podiatric medicine, is a long time Physicians for Peace volunteer, leading missions to Eritrea since 2004.  Dr. Walters has been the primary fundraiser, collecting over $1 million dollars in original retail value of in-kind donations of orthopedic equipment.  Dr. Walters has also pioneered new surgical techniques for limb reconstruction of severe deformities which are not seen, well-understood, nor treated in the US.  These novel techniques, which are safe, reproducible, and sustainable in the developing world are soon to be published for educational purposes for dissemination to other developing nations.

Dr. Keith Goss, who works closely with Dr. Walters on surgery missions, accepted the award for him at the Gala. (below)


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Health Professional (Non-physician) Category - Gil Mejia, C.P.

Gilberto Mejia, a certified prosthetist, has guided the prosthetists in Dominican Republic towards higher standards of care, embodying the Physicians for Peace philosophy.  When Gil first started providing training the clinic in Dominican Republic was making as few as 7 prosthesis a week, and not making them very well.  Seven years later, the same clinic has a robust staff, is known for their quality of service, and is a self sustaining operation that makes over 30 prosthesis a week.



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Mission Support Category - John Knight, M.P.H.

John Knight has worked with Physicians for Peace for many years and is the founder and champion of the Seeing Clearly Program, one of the many sustainable programs in the Philippines.  The program, first launched in the Philippines, has been a huge success due to John’s leadership and hard work and is now being replicated in Haiti and other countries around the world.  In addition, Mr. Knight serves on the Physicians for Peace Medical Operations Committee and has gone on five PFP missions to the Philippines with his sixth mission scheduled for this October.

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Congratulations to the winners and to all our volunteers who help support them in the work they do, and who make our medical missions possible every day. 

To learn more about our volunteer medical missions, visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org