Army Soldiers: Saving lives is our concern!

By Maj. MANGINTONONG A. TOCALO (INF) PA
April 29, 2006

CAMP LUKBAN, Catbalogan, Samar – With a desire to preserve the value and sacredness of human life, 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army through the Camp Lukban Station Hospital, led by its Commanding Officer, Lt Col Ramon Bonoan MC (PA), has once again took the courage in facing the risk of immediate patient evacuation from Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center (AFPMC) at V. Luna Road in Quezon City, mainly to ensure the survival of a soldier’s dependent from certain death.

9-day old Baby Boy Fabroa, was supposed to undergo neurosurgery operation at Bethany Hospital in Tacloban City where he was admitted after birth for an initial diagnosis of Septicemia Neonatorum - a systemic infection of the blood.

Lack of funds however forced his father, Corporal Edwin Fabroa, to bring him home instead and find some other ways to resolve the problem.

Cpl Fabroa’s faith and fortitude brought him to Camp Lukban Station Hospital’s doorstep where he found himself talking to Lt Col Bonoan, who upon learning the situation, immediately sought the Command’s consent to carry out the patient’s evacuation.

Upon arrival at the AFP Medical Center at 3:00 A.M. on March 8, 2006, Baby Boy Fabroa was checked and diagnosed finally to have subdural hematoma with intervetricular bleeding on his left ventricle. His attending military physician immediately subjected him to Craniotomy (surgical) operation wherein 250 milliliters of blood was evacuated from his brain. He was unquestioningly attended by Cpt Benzale who declared the operation a success after five hours. Baby Boy Fabroa is now recovering at the AFP Medical Center’s Neurosurgery Ward.

The surgery may have left him a scar. But he would surely be grateful, for every glimpse of it would make him remember God who, through our institution and valiant men has extended his existence to savor life’s sweetness.

With a mandate to protect the security of our state, constitution and people, the Philippine Army was organized and trained primarily to neutralize the state’s enemies through the use of force. But its aspiration for the preservation of human life makes the Army innovate itself to actively participate in nation building and other civil-related activities in addition to its customary role of conducting combat operations.

This significantly includes 8th Infantry Division’s participation in the search and retrieval operations during the “Fluvial Parade Tragedy” at San Ricardo and “Mudslide Tragedy” at Guinsaugan, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte respectively. Amid lack of technical expertise and equipment, Army soldiers braved themselves in optimistically facing the hazardous site condition with the hope to find signs of life.

No less than Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Southern Leyte Governor Rosette Y Lerias, Other Local Executives, International organizations, members of the media and the local folks have recognized the AFP’s indispensable contribution during these ill-fated events.

Paradoxically but disputably, soldiers are trained to destruct, for the cause of preserving the interest & security of the nation and the value of the inviolability of God’s supreme gift - the “Human Life”.