“The best way to find yourself is lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
The World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP) and MORE Power joined forces for a three-day surgical healthcare mission in Iloilo City and Province. It marked a significant milestone in their collaborative efforts by delivering PHP 12-13 million worth of free, high-quality surgical care to the underserved population.
“Ang pinaka-goal namin is magbigay ng libreng surgical health care for the poor especially dito sa Philippines,” said Dr. LESTER SUTAY, President and CEO of WSFP. “Our mission is to ensure quality surgical healthcare, and our vision is to collaborate with various sponsors, stakeholders, and local government units (LGUs) like MORE Power and the city and province of Iloilo to make this possible.”
With WSFP’s fourth endeavor in bringing essential surgical services to Iloilo, Dr. Suntay gave emphasis to the unique aspect of this year’s mission by stating, “Ang naging advantage lang nito ngayon, hindi lang purely adults ang ginagawa namin, we also do yung operation para sa mga bata. Ang mga surgeries kasi para sa mga bata, maraming backlogs. Maraming naghihintay na mga pasyente.”
What primarily pushed WSFP to take on the responsibility of delivering these critical services in remote areas was the lack of pediatric surgical specialists, many of whom are semi-retired.
Over the course of the three-day mission, a total of 289 surgical procedures were conducted across two hospitals. “With the support of MORE Power and other sponsors, we provided free services as surgeons and anesthesiologists,” Dr. Suntay expressed his gratitude. “We couldn’t have achieved this without our funders. We are particularly grateful for our partnership with MORE Power.”
ROEL Z. CASTRO, President and CEO of MORE Power, couldn’t agree more. He said, “MORE Power is very happy to assist and facilitate this Surgical Medical Mission. Nagpapasalamat kami sa Iloilo Provincial and City government and WSFP for this program. We hope it will continue every year. Rest assured, MORE Power will always be your partner for the betterment of Iloilo City and Province.”
Typically costing between PHP 300,000-400,000 per patient, the three-day pediatric surgeries significantly eased the financial burden on families. “It is a very helpful project especially sa mga pumuluyo sang probinsiya sang Iloilo nga mahatagan sila sang maayo nga pagtatap,” Dr. ALBERTO CORDERO, Chief of Hospital at Iloilo Provincial Hospital, added. “Ilabe na ang mga indi makasarang nga magpa-opera… nagapasalamat gid kami sa WSFP kag sa MORE Power sa pagpatigayon sini ng surgical mission.”
Over 100 volunteer doctors from Manila and Iloilo, who generously lent their expertise free of charge, made possible the success of the mission. “We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished and are committed to continuing our mission of providing free surgical healthcare to those in need.” Dr. Suntay concluded. “The impact on the lives of our patients and their families is immeasurable.”