| PMSNC Philippine Medical Society of Northern California |
Medical Mission
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| The Philippine Medical Society of Northern California is strongly committed to assist the indigents in the Philippines who have little or no access to medical care. In keeping with this commitment, the Society has been conducting medical missions to selected rural areas since 1986. The very first mission was held in 1986 in Masbate and Pampanga by six volunteer physicians. Since then missions have been conducted in Aklan, Bacnotan (La Union), Mati (Davao Oriental), Naga (Camarines Sur), Ilocos Sur, Negros Oriental, Romblon, Leyte, Bohol, Aklan and Surigao. To date over 52,000 indigent patients have been served for a variety of problems including hundreds of major surgical conditions often in existence for many years. In such places, thousands were born without a doctor, and with little doubt, many of them will die without ever seeing one. Dr. Florentino Ibabao, general surgeon and a past president of the PMSNC had been the coordinator and team leader of the missions until 1995 when Dr. Angelo K. Ozoa took over as coordinator. The PMSNC mission team includes a mix of physicians, dentists, nurses,technicians, students in the health professions, and support staff, all volunteers paying their own way and providing all services and medications free of charge. The host communities provide food and security. Although most of the team members are Filipinos, a significant number of our non-Filipino colleagues has joined in the effort and many have gone more than once. In the beginning the mission services were compose only of general medical, pediatric, and general surgical services. These have been gradually expanded to include the various surgical specialties such as plastic/reconstructive, obstetrics-gynecology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dentistry has also been added as well as continuing education for physicians and nurses. Driven by the motivation to help those in need and by the spirit of "giving back a little of the blessings we have received", the mission volunteers pay little attention to the expenditure of personal time and resources as well as time away from jobs and family. They forego the comfort of home, often living and working under spartan conditions and limited facilities. When the job is done, they go home exhausted but happy in the thought of having helped people in need whom they never saw before and will probably never see again They ask for no monetary recompense, but they leave enriched with warmth of new friendship and the love of a grateful community. Angelo K. Ozoa, M. D., Year 2000 |
| 2010 PMSNC Medical/Surgical/Dental Mission La Trinidad, Benguet |
| PMSNC MEDICAL MISSIONS MEDIA COVERAGE |
