LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The Interplast Germany, a non-profit medical organization based in Germany, facilitated the free-of-charge surgical operation of some 63 patients over the past two weeks at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) in Bolingit, San Carlos City.
The surgical mission which accommodated indigent patients from various towns and cities in the province was held in partnership with the provincial government through the Provincial Health Office.
Screening of the patients was done on the 28th of February before the ten-day scheduled surgery.
Dr. Med Christian Loehlein, head of the Interplast Germany said plastic surgeries conducted at the PPH surgical room mainly include palatoplasty (cleft lip and cleft palate surgery), hernioplasty, throidectomy , tonsillectomy and hemithroidectomy. Other types of surgical cases, Loehlein added, were also performed.
Operations were performed by surgeons Tomas Mueller, Lei Li, Eva Godewehr and anesthesiologists Sven Berges and Loehlein.
Owing to the good partnership with the German medical group in providing surgical services to Pangasinenses for almost 20 years, the present provincial administration led by Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. expressed gratitude to the German surgeons during the surgical mission’s closing program held on March 14 at the Doctors’ Lounge of PPH.
Marie Ambat, a 48-year-old mother of two from Cabilaoan, Laoac who underwent cholecystectomy (removal of gallstone) thanked the Interplast Germany for giving her free surgery.
The teary-eyed Ambat admitted that if not for the surgical mission, she would still be suffering from cholelithiasis (presence of gall stone in gall bladder). “Agpaspasalamat ak ken ni Governor Espino ta adu iti matul-tulungan na nga narigat gapo iti medical mission,” (Nagpapasalamat ako kay Governor Espino at marami syang natutulungan na mahihirap sa pamamagitan ng medical mission) she added.
Meanwhile, Cristina Palaganas Bustillo, a resident of Tebeng, Dagupan City thanked the German doctors and hospital personnel of PPH for carefully attending to the medical needs of her daughter, Criscila, a 10-year-old who underwent palatoplasty.
“Maganda po sa amin ang programang ito kasi na-ilibre sya. Maganda po ang pagka-opera sa kanya,” Bustillo said.
The patients of the recent surgical mission may avail free follow-up check-up, consultation and medicine at the hospitals that are owned and managed by the provincial government.
A series of medical missions by various local and international medical organizations in partnership with the provincial government has been set by the Provincial Health Office (PHO) on the first quarter of the year to cater to the medical needs of indigent Pangasinenses.
By Dexter A. See