A letter of appeal from one of the seven to her batchmates in UERM. Dr. Cecilia Evangelistas account of what we experienced in Samar and her suggestions as to how we can improve health services in the rural areas. My dear classmates, I am sharing with you my own personal experience and appreciation of our 6 day medical mission in Eastern Samar. We were a team of seven [Dr. Fran Bernardino-our team leader from UP, Dr. Christina Cruz, OB-GYN-UERMMMC class 86, Dr. Daphne Villanueva- UERM 2012, Dr. Fatima Gansatao-UERM2012, Dr. Jette Po-Major (our dentist UE PhD), Mia Atanacio (our nurse from HFI) under Dr. Galvez tan of HFI (Health Futures Inc.]. Each member of our team has their own personal stories to tell. To start with, I learned about the meeting at UERM right after the POGGS convention thru Facebook. However, I was not able to attend it because I had an emergency call in our hospital. I just called Soki and Ida (UERM alumni sec.) while their meeting was ongoing to count me in should they decide to deploy doctors. And so it happened. We had a meeting with Dr. Tan the night before we were deployed and we were told to prepare for the worst- to be bold and daring but not reckless and to heed to the advice of the locals. With our backpacks(we were allowed to carry only 7 kg each for our personal things) and boxes of medicines and medical supplies we flew via Air Asia - our fares sponsored by Land Rover group through the intercession of Gary Ramirez- friend of Dr. Jette. We arrived at Tacloban airport at around 2p.m. November 14, 2013. The atmosphere in the airport was something I could not altogether fathom - there was an air of silence and melancholy. We waited while our baggage were distributed by a Malaysian staff from Air Asia putting each box/luggage high up for passengers to claim- not the usual carousel which was destroyed by typhoon Yoly - as people watched and took pictures of a US giant twin engine helicopter and a huge military Korean plane landing with their deafening engine roars. Together with Gary Ramirez, Mark Soong and his Land Rover group, a military truck brought us to a Pension House also destroyed by yolanda where we waited for the van that never came that would supposedly take us to Basey, our first area to serve. We later learned that the driver refused to take us for fear of the NPA (New Peoples Army - a feared rebel group) should we finished late. It’s pitch dark in the entire area after 5 p.m. The road trips to the far-flung areas took us 3 ½ - 4 hours with areas of rough rugged road leading to where the people were. Coconut trees (main livelihood of the people aside from fishing) were either uprooted or top offs resembling toothpicks and those fallen on the grounds look like fallen sticks ( a game we used to play when we were children). The mountains are devoid of trees and appear brown – a total devastation. Despite this total devastation we see a beautiful calm sea, blue sky and beautiful sunset which according to the locals were not visible until the trees that cover the beautiful seaside had fallen. We were swarmed with patients when word reach the people that there was a medical mission. We saw 350 patients in Basey, 400 in Lawaan, 650 in Balingiga, and only 100 in Giporlos only because most of the people in Giporlos have been evacuated to Manila and Cebu. We treated mostly cases of upper respiratory tract infections, dermatitis mostly fungal, infected wounds, body aches, psychological trauma which according to Dr. Tina made several patients asked for sedatives. We had a 18 year old G2P1 8-month severe pre-eclamptic patient which we advised to go to Tacloban for immediate hospitalization. Patients line up for dental treatment, they were given free toothbrushes, health teachings and aqua tabs for potable drinking water were given by Mia our nurse I have been to many remote places in the country but this is the first time that I was left teary-eyed when I saw the people from neonates carried by their mothers to as old as in their 80’s despite the rain and scorching sun maintain their line, hungry for medical and dental attention. Many literally jogged 15 km just to make sure that they arrive on time. Some that didn’t make it to the cut off cried because we had to leave before dark. It was heart breaking so we stayed and treated them. Their smiles and profound gratitude is forever ingrained in our hearts and minds. We hear stories from the local health workers and some mayors of the inequality of relief distribution marred by political squabbles. Dr. Jette interviewed a mayor who was so frustrated when a group of medical team from Spain permitted by DOH to put up a mini tent hospital were allegedly driven out by the chief of hospital of the ruined provincial hospital. The mayor entertained the possibility that it might be politically motivated as they are not politically aligned. He allowed me to video the short interview with the hope that this will be given due attention here in Manila. We saw the magnitude of destruction, lost of lives, lost of livelihood, psychological trauma, acute and chronic illnesses cause by this typhoon. We also learned that even before Yoly, people from far-flung areas do not have access to health and dental care. What we are doing now is just an interim measure and to quote Dra. Fran “ a band-aid’ measure to alleviate the immediate health needs of the victims. Dear classmates, I feel that we can take advantage of this calamity to open our hearts and minds and to make known to as many as possible especially those in power that we should act as one - government, medical associations, credible and honest NGO’s , to address the short term, medium term and long term rehabilitation of our health care system and make the typhoon stricken areas as models for this change. May I, therefore, suggest the following : Immediate (short term) for the typhoon stricken areas: 1. Coordinate with the local DOH personnel to set up a place that should be located where most of the residents are residing manned by a midwife/nurse with a doctor who they can call or refer to. 2. Identify the health needs of the community and stack up medicines supplied by DOH and donors 3. Provide a means of communication either through mobile phones if the sites are already restored or hand held radio transmitters ( I think we can buy these in USA) so that these nurses/midwives assigned can call for advice/help from doctors. Identify the distance between these barangays and the doctor/hospital to be referred to if such radio transmitters can reach them. Medium term: 1. We need more doctors and dentists in remote areas. Can we offer a scholarship to a deserving student residing in those areas with a contract to serve for a number of years (for us to determine). We have identified a nurse in Samar who had 1 year of medical schooling 5 years ago but had to stop due to financial reasons. We can start with him should we decide. Long Term Plan: Appoint a credible/influential/person or group of people/ organization who has the passion, political will to unite or work in close coordination with the DOH, PhilHealth, all Medical Societies and to act as one to avoid duplication of programs and services to achieve efficiency in the delivery of health care Please feel to add or criticize the above suggestions so we could help significantly in the rehabilitation of our health care system. Thank you.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 11:38:33 +0000
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