DEAR FRIENDS OF THE MISSION;

It is with great pleasure I present to you my report of the 1997 Medical Mission to Gapan, Nueva Ecija Province in the Philippines.

Starting with a very cold Thursday, the 16th of January, we boarded the plane at Kansas City International Airport for the 26 hour flight to Manila. After a long tiring journey we arrived at 9:45pm local time. Ninety minutes later we cleared customs, then boarded a bus for the 60 mile, 2 1/2 hour journey, to Cabanatuan, and a much needed hotel room.

Saturday the 18th. Shuttle vans, provided by the Rotary Club of Gapan, took us on the 40 minute ride to the Hospital at Gapan, to begin checking out our equipment. During our stay our meals were provided by the "Inner Wheel Rotarian Ladies", and it seemed that no matter what time of the day there was always an abundance of things to eat. Lunch or dinner, with snacks between snacks, we were truly shown the great Philippine hospitality of looking out for ones guests.

Sunday the 19th. We began setting up the surgical rooms with equipment, sorting the first needs of the teams that were to begin operating early on Monday. Locating, and setting up the rooms for the different specialties, kept all of us busy till 5pm, then back to the vans for our journey to the hotel.

Monday 20 Jan. The Mission began in earnest. Supply teams sorting, Nurses organizing patients, Surgical teams setting up the first patients, and our two clinic teams wondering if they could last out the week, as there were so many patients. So our Medical Mission of 1997 began. Then a problem. Our Clinic team on the way from Hospital to Hotel was involved in an accident. This was severe enough to remove five persons from their duties for the balance of our time at the Gapan hospital. Fortunately no one was critically hurt but all five spent some time in the Cabanatuan Hospital before being released, with one nurse being transferred to Manila, for further evaluation.

Tuesday 21 Jan. The true flexibility of our Missioniers showed on this day. Two of our Doctors with the aid of local nurses and three of our lay people changed teams to run the clinic for the next four days. Seeing some seventy people per day, per Doctor; definitely kept the doctoring/nursing/patient recording and Ms. Fe working at crowd control, from being bored!!!!.

Wednesday 22 Jan. Our Doctors were really busy this day, with patients coming out of the surgeries like a production line system. Local Doctors and Anesthetists that volunteered their services to help the Mission were now learning how to work the equipment we brought, through the instruction given by our various specialty teams, it was a great show of service above self.

Thursday 23 Jan. All our teams were working hard again, with mid morning snack, lunch, afternoon snacks being on a continuous supply, we kept all the teams working at feverish pace. This left the local nurses wondering just what were they seeing. They had never before seen six surgeries being done simultaneously in this hospital. Normal would be one or two per day. Even so they helped at making beds and did a lot of Find, with Fetch and Carry being on their list of duties.

Friday 24 Jan. T.G.I.F... Our last day for surgeries and clinics, the plan was to finish about 1:00PM. Plans are made to be changed!!! So the last surgery was not completed till 7pm. This made us a little late for our "Despedida", (going away party) given by the Rotary club of Gapan. Following the new club house dedication, another great meal and being entertained with some local folk dancing, it was a very tired group of Missioniers that returned to their hotel, to pack for their 7:00AM Saturday departure, by bus to Manila.

Saturday 25 Jan. After the three hour trip from Cabanatuan to the Manila airport, where some participants boarded flights to various destinations, our bus then took us to a hotel close by, for the final separation of our mission group. Then off they went to do their own thing. Just sleeping, or visiting relatives, some last minute shopping, and packing again, with thoughts of a job well done.

When one sees the slides I took, it shows a little of the enormous result these volunteers were able to achieve in such a short time. This is really what our Medical Mission is all about.

Slides do not show the feeling of looking into eyes that can now see. The emotion of realization that a person will now live without pain. A young man that will now stand proud, and won't cover his mouth to smile. A man that can now stand straight, or a young woman that is no longer in pain. The fact that future patients won't have to sit on the floor. The Emergency room will now be able to treat their emergency. The delivery room now has enough equipment to safely bring new life into the world. The local Doctors will now be pleased to bring their patients to the District Hospital of Gapan, all because of our Medical Mission.

How can I say thank you on behalf of those folks we helped, the ones that will be helped in the many years to come, through the donation of money and goods of All kinds, that made this Mission possible?. How can I say thank you to those people I have not seen, those that gave donations to the Rotary Foundation, those that helped with the enormous work during the golf game fundraiser?. How can I say thank you to the guys that came on a moments notice to fetch and carry?. How can I say thank you for the great assistance I received to create and run this Mission?. How can I say thank you to those that came on the Mission?. I cannot begin to, but I know the folks that were in the room when a young girl who had been blind 7 years said,

Sincerely,

Denys B COLLINS
Medical Mission Coordinator