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ORH 2010

ORH 2010 - Mission Report Back

84 children given new hope in life - 2010 ORH New Zealand Medical Mission to Manila, Philippines 6 Years of Success

The ORH 2010 Mission represented 6 year of success in Caloocan City’s President Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Centre. 84 underprivileged children received their much-needed cleft lip and / or palate free surgery given by volunteers of Operation Restore Hope from New Zealand, Australia, Germany, UAE and Manila.

The mission week started on 8th April 2010, with our 4th Lecture Seminar. This educational forum provided a great opportunity to integrate the New Zealand and the Philippine perspectives into the peri-operative care of patients undergoing cleft lip and palate surgery.

Four operating tables were organized to maximize the list of patients needing treatment on maxillo-facial disfigurement. International and Manila based volunteer surgeons, anaesthetist, speech therapists, anaesthetic technicians, nurses, dentists and other allied health staff worked from the screening day on the 11th April 2010 tirelessly until the end of the 5 day long week of operating days from 12th April to the 16th April 2010. 136 patients were screened and 84 patients received free surgery with ages ranging from 4 months to 30 years of age.

Operation Restore Hope New Zealand 2010 Medical Mission would not be possible without the support of the Rotary Foundations of Germany, Holland and Manila, NZ Embassy, ASK Foundation Manila, and all the volunteers and other supporters.

The New Zealand Ambassador in the Philippines, Mr Andrew Matheson, and his partner Ms Sue Cotton visited the hospital on the 14th April 2010 and were amazed by how the ORH NZ volunteers make the most of what was available in the hospital in order to perform cleft lip and palate surgery.

A group of Grade 3 and 4 students and parents of children from the German European School Manila along with their teacher Ms Rachel White and the NZ Embassy Deputy Head of Mission, Mr Andy White, visited the hospital on the 15th May 2010.

They presented and donated to the children of ORH medical supplies, water and medications, and then intermingled and played with the children who were waiting for their surgery and as well as visiting some patients in the post surgery ward.

The medical-surgical mission week ended with a farewell celebration hosted the City of Caloocan and President Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Centre.

Hector Gonzales
NZ Mission Administrator