PIA Press Release
Saturday, January 07, 2012

Canadian medical mission to cater to indigents

BAGUIO CITY, Jan. 7 (PIA) -- Indigent patients in need of non-emergency surgery may avail of the free surgical program of GO-MED (Greater Outreach Medical/ Educational Destinations), a medical outreach group based in Vancouver, Canada from January 30 to February 10 at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

Medical center chief, Dr. Manuel Factora of the BGHMC said the GO-MED team will arrive on Jan. 27 for the medical mission.

The visiting team will do laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy, thyroidectomy, hernia repair, mastectomy, ovarian tumor excision, abdominal and vaginal hysterectomies and bilateral tubal ligation.

Registration of patients continues at the out-patient department of the BGHMC and evaluation of qualified patients is being undertaken by the BGHMC Social Service.

The group which was founded in 2009 is headed by Dr. Peter Blair, a general surgeon who was elected GO-MED president in May last year.

It had already donated two operating room beds, two anesthesia machines, 30 hospital beds and assorted surgical and medical supplies to the BGHMC.

As in the previous missions, members of the team are expected to be led anew by Blair and nurse Shirley Pinlac-Maas, a native of Baguio and graduate of the BGH School of Nursing and the Baguio City National High School.

Composed of a mission leader, surgical leader, anesthesiology leader, nursing leader, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and support staff and other volunteers, the outreach members will personally shoulder their transport, food and billeting expenses.

GO-MED will also bring in the surgical and medical supplies, together with the medicines needed, and will donate the unused items to the medical center.

To raise support budget for the mission, the volunteers sponsor and host dinners, dances, walks and other fund drives.

“We’re looking forward to meet and work with you again,” mission logistics coordinator Miechiel Maas wrote Factora last October to firm up the outreach. (PIA CAR/RD-Baguio City PIO)