'In His Steps' Medical Mission - Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro

Patient outside Medicare Hospital

Eyes and fingers probed the chainlink fence surrounding Mansalay Gymnasium, Mansalay, and Oriental Mindoro. From the air, the hundreds of people gathered in the sun looked like a town fair. In reality, they were in the middle of a multi-day wait for free medical and dental care.

The Team

In one day, a team of 50+ doctors, nurses and supporting volunteers from United States, Manila, Iloilo and Mansalay performed 100+ surgeries, invited 1000+ patients into the medical mission area and Medicare Hospital and provided 200+ people with dental care. The main stakeholder for this mission is the “In His Steps” medical ministry from Texas, U.S.A. with the effort of our very own Doc Celia Maliwanag and of course the local government.

Doc Cel Maliwanag

Aniway Cusi, a member of Mangyan Hanunuo tribe and a mother of two-year-old Mikoy, said she and his son waited for hours to get into the free medical mission after traveling about a half hour from their home in town proper. She pointed at Mikoy’s face, which had a minor case of scabies and white patch near his eye. The sun had irritated it.

Aniway and her son, Mikoy

Now that they were entertained, an answer was near. A simple check-up, injection and medicines would solve what a quack doctor had told them many months ago he could not treat.

“It’s a relief having doctors come here that can do what the doctors can’t do in Mansalay,” Cusi said. “I just want the doctors to be able to fix it so my son’s illness can grow up and be healthy.”

Volunteer Doctor from Africa

Mikay’s story is one of thousands. There is the old man who walked hours to gain sight through free eyeglasses, and then returned after few hours year just to say thank you. There is the teenage girl who had her hands tumor removed after years of agonizing it so badly.

Collecting Patient Data

Taking Vital Signs

Each resident’s vital signs were first taken before they could proceed to the doctor. Medical complaints ranged from fever, cough or colds to hypertension or diabetes. There were also varied patients, from a day-old baby to an eighty-ish grandmother. After the doctor examined them, they were given the appropriate medication. Or, if they needed more intervention, they were referred to the nearest hospital via ambulance. Some clients however went to the medical mission without any ailment to complain. They said that they were just there to ask for multivitamins which they have rightly received.

Ongoing surgery

Working doctors and nurses

After a few minutes of resting, we went back our posts. I am assigned to surgery. Cries burst and tears flowed as the vaccinations began and blood pressure apparatus pumped and whistled. It was a bit tiresome but all worth it. The smiles and the words of thanks are all you need to wipe the sweat dry and boost you energy back to normal. These are the times when I definitely tell myself I love my profession.

Senior citizens

“We have found that much of the need exists in the countryside where people don’t necessarily have the money or cultural inclination to go into the big cities,” said Medical Mission Director. “As a result, those needs are unmet.”

Team Nurses

It’s weird but it’s amazing how on the mission field and doing God’s work everything seems to disappear. Worries, anxieties, and things that seemed to matter don’t really anymore. God has a funny way of reprioritizing your life but if we’re honest it never really stays like that after the God rush is gone.

Medical Volunteers

Team RNHeals 

Team Manila Nurses

New Friends

Access to healthcare should never be exclusive to those who can afford and to those who are living near the source of medications, etc. So, clap clap for activities like this. I’m so looking forward to the next. Everyone can make a difference in his/her own little ways. I hope to start changing the world. -shernan