THE Bisaya Medical Association (BMA), together with the City of Carcar and the Provincial Government of Cebu, conducted a four-day medical, surgical and dental mission in Carcar City last Jan. 8 to 11.
At least 14,000 people, not only from Carcar but in other parts of Cebu, benefited from the humanitarian program.
BMA is a group of doctors and medical practitioners all over the United States but with one commonality, they are all Bisaya. They have been doing medical missions for the past 35 years in different parts of the Philippines. This year’s mission in Carcar, though, has been considered as their grandest as this was organized in memory of Dr. Jesus Ho, one of the BMA founders.
Dr. Priscilla Ho, Dr. Jesus’ widow, and her daughters Jenny Ho Vijungco and Jessica Ho Scara spearheaded the mission, along with the president of BMA, Dr. Leonardo Malalis.
They also tapped the volunteers of Southwestern University nursing, dental and ophtometry students for the mission.
During the four-day activities, the services included 17 major and 55 minor surgeries, 10,000 plus consultations where beneficiaries received free medicines, distribution of reading glasses to 1,600 residents.
Apart from the $200,000 worth of medicines, excluding those that were bought locally that were distributed to the beneficiaries, the organizers also donated P15 million worth of equipment.
“Dako kaau mi ug pasalamat ni Mayor Nice ug labi na sa doctor na nag opera nako. Dugay na ni siya nako gidaladala kay apeke lagi sa kwarta pero tungod sa medical mission, ako na jud ni napaoperahan nga libre, “ said 27-year-old Edison Castañeda, one of the beneficiaries.
The towns of Aloguinsan, Oslob, Argao, Sibonga and Danao City were just among the places in Cebu that also benefited from the mission.