CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan — Some 3,298 Bulakenyos benefited from the free medical services of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) Medical Mission Foundation of Greater St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America held at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium in this city from January 22 to 25.
So far, the PMA has already served a total number of 13,545 beneficiaries in their five years of the medical mission here.
During the four-day mission, the Filipino and American nurses and doctors served 2,671 out-patients, including 362 senior citizens, 1,890 adults, and 419 children.
A total of 197 Bulakenyos availed of the dental services, 160 of the ophthalmology services, 181 had undergone minor operations and 89 went through major operations.
Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado lauded the efforts of the PMA delegates who literally “crossed the seas just to go back and help their motherland.”
“While we, the provincial government, have earnestly devoted much of our funds and efforts in giving priority to the health and wellness of our people through acquisition of medical equipment; improvement of our hospitals and facilities; and comprehensive training of our medical personnel, we recognize the reality that such efforts need support from individual and organizations such as the Philippines Medical Mission Foundation of Greater St. Louis, Missouri to ensure its fruition,” the governor said.
Dr. Necita Roa, president of the PMA Medical Mission Foundation of Greater St. Louis, Missouri, said their objective is to give the Bulakenyos medical assistance and free medicines.
“The primary aim of PMA is to help our kababayan, especially the unfortunate one. To give them free medical check-up and medicines,” Roa said.
Meanwhile, Dionita Morales, one of the patients who consulted because of her constant migraine and fatigue, recognized the big help of the free medical mission.
“For a single parent like me, it is hard for us to afford a medical check-up in a private as well as a public hospital. We are very thankful to Gov. Alvarado and especially to the doctors of PMA for this one of a kind project for the Bulakenyos,” she said. (Manny Balbin/PNA)