LA UNION MEDICAL MISSION
From the Diary of Kelly Garrity, La Union Medical Mission Volunteer, 2003

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2003 - DESTINATION LA UNION
After nearly a year of preparation and as many as 20 hours flight time across the Pacific Ocean, 59 volunteers-most of them health care professionals affiliated with various medical associations in Indiana, North Carolina, and Texas-boarded a bus in Manila, on Luzon Island in the Philippines, for a five-hour ride to the city of San Fernando
in the northern province of La Union.

As the bus sped northward behind a police escort, the urban congestion of Manila gradually yielded to scenes of farmers tending to rice fields and merchants selling produce along the roadside. Indiana Philippine Medical Association (IPMA) President Dr. Danny Sardon, his wife Ms. Elizabeth Sardon, and former Philippine Professional Association (PPA) President and local mission coordinator Dr. Ferdinand Ramos introduced themselves and each of the volunteers. Already in San Fernando waiting for the Indiana and Texas contingent to arrive were members of the Carolina Medical Mission (CMM), who had come after already having served for several weeks in other parts of the country. The CMM team was led by Dr. Fred Ng, Ms. Anita Ng, Dr. Art De Leon, Dr. Rosemary De Leon, and Ms. Emma Dempsey-each of whom had contributed so much to support and guide the Indiana team as they coordinated their first-ever medical mission trip.

San Fernando, with a population of more than 115,000 people, was to be the medical mission's home base for the following five days, as the volunteers planned to visit several hospitals and clinics throughout the area, offering their surgical, medical, and dental skills and medications to local people who would not always have access to free care. Upon arrival in San Fernando, the volunteers enjoyed a sea-side lunch at the home of La Union Vice Governor Augusto Aureo Q. Nisce.

After taking in a wide view of the South China Sea, the volunteers were dropped off at their respective hotels to rest for the duration of the afternoon. Although the surgical operations and medical consultations would not begin until the next day, everyone was needed to help sort and label the hundreds of medications that had been donated by the volunteers and by other generous contributors in the U.S.

After a welcome dinner at the Villa Estrella Resort, where a band played and several of the volunteers eventually found their way to the microphone to demonstrate their singing abilities (or lack thereof!), many of the volunteers worked long into the night, preparing all that would be needed for the following day's work-the first official day of the mission.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2003 - SAN FERNANDO
After breakfast at the prominent Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando, a sprawling, 300-bed complex headed by medical director Dr. Gilbert De Leon and foreign medical mission coordinator Dr. Magno Jose C. Valdez, the volunteers split up according to their specialties. The primary care providers, dentists, and their respective support teams were taken to the San Fernando City Hall in the city center, where they were welcomed by Mayor Mary Jane C. Ortega and hundreds of the city's residents who were celebrating the annual Fiesta. Flags were raised, songs were sung, and several from the welcoming entourage encouraged those in the cheering audience to "come on, show your teeth - a smile costs nothing!" After the morning ceremony, long lines of local people who were seeking medical and dental care began to form and the volunteers took their places to greet them.

In the plaza beside City Hall a variety of stations were set up to accommodate the medical and dental needs of the hundreds of people who were requesting attention. One group of volunteers received the local folks,determined their primary complaints, and after taking their blood pressures, pointed them toward the appropriate medical or dental station for their free consultation. Primary care physicians and nurses, pediatricians, pharmacists, and dentists waited for patients at their respective stations while lay volunteers provided traffic control and continued to sort and label medications. By the day's end, the volunteers had seen a total of 622medical patients and 54 dental patients.

Meanwhile, most of the U.S. surgeons and their staffs were stationed atthe Ilocos medical center, in any one of nine operating rooms; two of thesurgeons were needed throughout the week in the nearby town of Agoo.Throughout the day, local surgeons assisted the U.S. team on a total of 19 cases. For the rest of the week the combined U.S. and Filipino surgical team, with help from surgical residents from the Ilocos medical center, worked together to perform thyroidectomies, repair hernias, perform C-section births, as well as a variety of other cases.
After a long day, the volunteers took respite at their hotels before enjoying dinner and entertainment at Diego Silang Hall in the provincial capitol building, hosted by the governor of La Union, Victor Francisco C.Ortega.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2003 - LUNA

After morning Mass, which was celebrated by the trip's priest, Msgr. Gerald Lewis of the CMM, and breakfast at the medical center, most of the surgical volunteers once again moved to the center's operating rooms to join their Filipino colleagues in the 24 cases that had been scheduled for the day, while the medical and dental teams were taken to the town of Luna, known for its famous "Luna Stones"-washed up, river-polished pebbles that get exported all over the country and world as decorative ornaments. After the 30-minute drive from the medical center, the medical and dental team once again set up their stations, this time in Luna's large, open-air sports complex. Rain showered down throughout the morning as local folks waited under the covered facility for their turn at a free consultation.

As was the case in San Fernando, Luna townspeople and their mayor, George B. Pinzon, graciously welcomed the U.S. volunteers, and several local health care professionals worked side by side with them throughout the day. By the end of the day, medical and dental providers had seen 735 patients (581medical, 154 dental) in what proved to be another long, but very fulfillingday. Dinner was held at the Coco Grove Resort in Luna and many of the volunteers stayed to dance into the late evening.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2003 - REST IN SAN FERNANDO AND BAGUIO

Besides being the regional and provincial capitol and center for trade and commerce, industry, government, and education, the city of San Fernando also claims to be the "Botanical Garden City of the North"-so named to honor its famous Botanical Garden, which includes 20 hectacres of themed gardens, picnic grounds, and a museum of natural history. After breakfast, the volunteers enjoyed a leisurely morning, strolling through the beautiful gardens and eating a picnic lunch that was hosted by Mayor Ortega.

After lunch the volunteers boarded a bus for a two-hour ride to Baguio, the famous mountain resort town, known for its beautiful vistas and relatively cool summer temperatures. The volunteers enjoyed wandering through the many shops, looking for bargains on local art, crafts, and clothing. After returning to San Fernando the volunteers enjoyed chicken dinner at one of the famous Max's Restaurants.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2003 - BAUANG

While surgeons performed 20 major operations at the Ilocos and Agoo hospitals, the medical and dental teams took their consultation stations to the Dona Donata Aguila Memorial Health Center in the town of Bauang, about 10-minutes from the capitol.

In Bauang, volunteers were once again warmly welcomed, this time by Mayor Martin P. De Guzman III and the center's local staff, who were instrumental in helping coordinate the day's activities, which included accommodating 606 medical and 128 dental patients, many of them children. Volunteers had dinner in Bauang near the ocean, and again, via karaoke, demonstrated performing art-mostly at its best!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2003 - AGOO

On the final day of the La Union Medical Mission, surgeons once again split their time between the Ilocos medical center and the Agoo hospital and performed 13 operations throughout the day, while the medical and dental teams saw as many as 336 patients in Agoo (313 medical, 23 dental).

The Agoo facility, which is directed by Dr. Fernando Astom, who developed a unique, combined public and private income generation scheme which he hopes will make the new hospital sustainable, was built on the site of a hospital that had been destroyed during a volcano eruption. The 650 million peso, European Union-funded facility has been equipped with the most modern technology and resources.

When the last patients had been taken care of most of the volunteers gathered in the Agoo complex's chapel, where Msgr. Lewis led a reflection during which volunteers had the opportunity to thank their colleagues and share how the experience had affected them. Many volunteers mentioned how humbling they had found the work, how thankful they were to have had the opportunity to participate in such a trip, and what a joy and inspiration it was to serve those in need.

Then the volunteers were taken to a farewell dinner, hosted by Agoo's mayor, Eufranio C. Eriguel, at his grand home, where a meal was served and awards were distributed. After dinner, the volunteers enjoyed dancing and conversation with some old friends-as well as some new-found friends.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2003 - BACK TO MANILA AND HOME

After the five-hour bus ride back to Manila, the volunteers bade farewell to each other. Indeed, this first-ever collaboration among the Indiana and Texas groups and the CMM seemed to be a rousing success-and a tradition which hopefully will continue for many years to come.

THANK YOU SPONSORS AND FELLOW VOLUNTEERS!
PLEASE SUPPORT FUTURE MEDICAL MISSION TRIPS!

*Kelly Garrity, 2003 La Union Volunteer, is a trained social worker from Minneapolis, MInnesota. He has an MBA and a Masters in Social Work from Washington University.