Biliranons thank PGMA for bringing in caravan, medical-surgical mission

By FLOR JACKSON (PIA Biliran)
February 27, 2008

NAVAL, Biliran  –  Biliranons have all the reasons to be happy as they thank President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for bringing in the surgical and medical mission as well as the People’s Government Mobile Action (PGMA) Caravan to the province of Biliran.

The surgical mission which is part of the entire PGMA Caravan in Biliran started Tuesday at about 8:00 o’clock in the morning with surgeons from Manila and from the Biliran Provincial Hospital (BPH) performing the operation to patients.

In an interview with Dr. Edgar Veloso, the newly installed Chief of Hospital of the Biliran Provincial Hospital, he said that the surgeons including the nurses, medical technologists and other medical personnel that compose the surgical team arrived from Manila Monday morning, February 25 and immediately after they have put their equipment in place at the BPH, they started doing the final screening of patients who will undergo surgery of their various ailments.

He added that even as some doctors of the surgical team are performing the operation to patients, other members of the team together with the doctors of the BPH will do the screening to ensure that these patients are qualified to be operated on.

He informed that the surgical mission will be conducted starting Tuesday, February 26 until Friday, February 29 but the screening will continue up to Thursday, February 28.

He bared that the surgical team from Manila is composed of four opthalmologists, three plastic surgeons, five general surgeons and the surgeons from the BPH together with Gov. Rogelio Espina who is himself a medical doctor by profession especializing in orthopedics.

The surgical patients, Dr. Veloso said, include those suffering from harelip, cleft palate, cataract, pteridium, cyst and other minor surgery cases.

Moreover, he disclosed that on February 27, a medical and dental mission will be conducted in the two barangays of Kawayan, one of the eight towns of Biliran province, which are Barangays Mapuyo and Ungale and also in Caibiran town on Thursday, February 28.  The medical and dental mission in Caibiran will be held at the municipal gymnasium.

Former Congresswoman of the first district of Leyte Remedios “Matin” Petilla and now Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Vice President for PGMA Programs on Social Development and party arrived on Tuesday in Naval where she met with Biliran Governor Rogelio Espina and other provincial officials.

She also visited the BPH to meet with the surgical team and other hospital officials to see for herself the on-going surgical mission.

The surgical mission which forms part of the caravan is targeting some 500 cataract patients, Dr. Veloso said, but as of now, only 80 cataract patients have submitted for screening.  He added that 50 cleft palate patients have already been screened, while 40 patients were screened for pteridium and some 138 patients for minor surgery such as cysts and other minor body mass.

“The number of surgical patients will still increase until Thursday, February 28”, he added.

He informed that some 35 medical personnel to include surgeons, nurses, medical technologists among others from the regional health office and from the Leyte Provincial Hospital will be arriving on Wednesday, February 27 and will join with the doctors and other health personnel of the BPH and the Biliran Medical Society for the scheduled medical and dental mission in the two barangays in Kawayan and in Caibiran town.

For his part, Jun Oliva, Information Officer of the provincial government of Biliran disclosed that on Friday, February 29, the PGMA caravan to be participated in by the national government agencies will be conducted at the Naval Institute of Technology (NIT) Gymnasium and at the campus of the said school instead of holding the activity at the provincial capitol compound in anticipation that it might rain on the day of the caravan.

As mandated by Administrative Order No. 159, all government line agencies will extend their services during the caravan day.