Dagupan City Medical-Surgical Mission Thank You Notes

PAMAG thank our most Gracious Hosts, Atty. Gonzalo Duque and his whole family and our PAMAG Medical Mission Chairman, Dr. Grace Duque-Dizon for their very hard work and generosity.
 
We were very appreciative of the Secretary of Health, Dr. Francisco Duque for endorsing PAMAG  Mission and Welcoming us on our day of arrival in Dagupan.
 
We thank the following most generous Officials for hosting PAMAG Mission Dinners:

• Dr. Jess Canto of Region 1 Medical Center Chief
• Dagupan City Mayor, Benjie Lim
• Speaker of the House, Jose De Venecia Jr.
• Atty. Gonzalo & Ruth Duque, Lyceum Northwestern President ( Overall Local Chairman)
• Mr. & Mrs. Cesar T.Duque, UPANG President
• Rotary Club of Uptown Dagupan
   

We thank  Dr. Jess Canto, Dr.Otto Raguindin, Dr. Robert Valenzuela, Dr. Leo Carbonel, Dr. Filipe Rodriguez, Dr. Agnes Sivino, Mrs. Shirley Quinones,Marcel  and all the Medical Participants in the Philippines for the success of our Mission.
 
We thank Armand Duque, Phil Britton from BBC, Michael Tañedo, Dr. Ramon Gutierrez and all  members of the  Documentary Team of Lyceum-Northwestern  University both for  the web and in the Souveneir Program.
 
Thank you all for making our Mission the most memorable Medical Mission we ever had!
 
Dr. Grace Bautista
Executive Director

MAP International & Rotary Dist. 6920 Donations Summary

Thank you to all our donors.

click to download the MAP International Donation Summary

click to download the Rotary Dist 6920 Container Donation Summary

 

Dagupan City Medical-Surgical Mission Photo Gallery

Dagupan City Arrival – Welcome lunch at Lyceum-Northwestern University, Press conference and blessing of Duque Conference Hall at Region 1 medical center

Dagupan Astrodome – General Consultation Site

Region 1 Medical Center – General & Eye Surgeries Site

Dagupan Doctors’ Villaflor Hospital – Pacemaker Implant Site

Lyceum-Northwestern University – Dental Procedures Site

Lenox Hotel – CME

click the above site links to view the photo gallery

Medical-Surgical Mission Compilation Video

DOWNLOAD THE 16 minute Part 1 VIDEO 130mb .wmv 
DOWNLOAD THE 15 minute Part 2 VIDEO 120mb .wmv
To download: click the link or Right-Click the link then select “Save Targe As”.  The video requires a Windows Media Player to run.

The 16 minute video will take more than 30 minutes to download in a dial-up connection or less than 30 minutes in a broadband connection.

 

Atty. Gonzalo Duque's letter to President Arroyo

AS EXPECTED, the Philippine American medical mission, as of this writing, turned out to be a great success.

In the words of Director Jess Canto of the Regional Medical Center, “it’s so far the biggest medical mission which created an impact in the Pangasinan community.”

I have made my own observation of the program, and being equally impressed, I decided to write President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo so that it would be institutionalized.

I had expressed the wish that the President would create an inter-agency committee to regulate, develop and  advance the cause of foreign medical missions in the Philippines because of the immense benefits our people, especially the poor, who are very, very many will get  from them.
While this group of well-meaning professionals is in the admirable job of service, they are usually given the run-around, or subjected to red tape, rigid regulations, especially in the processing of their travel documents not to mention their problems with the PRC and the processing of their equipment and medicines with the Bureau of Customs.

The proposed agency should function like a one -stop shop and prevent confusion in the implementation of a very laudable program.     

Here’s my letter to PGMA:

Your Excellency Madam President:

We are pleased to share information that the Medical Mission conducted by our “kababayans” of the Philippine-American Medical Association of Georgia (PAMAG) in the city of Dagupan from February 5-9 has been a success. It has brought much needed relief to the suffering of many of our indigent citizens in the province of Pangasinan and it has brought in donations that have augmented the resources of our Regional Hospital.

Approximately three thousand were entertained and more than 80 major operations were performed. The highlights of the mission were the successful   implanting of pacemakers donated by the PAMAG and the generous donation of medical equipment to the Region 1 medical Hospital. The value of the services, supplies and hardware they have shared are of millions of pesos in worth.

But in the course of our efforts to organize the mission, we noted a number of unnecessary obstacles resulting from the compounded disarray of policies and red tape ensuing from the Bureau of Customs, Immigration, Finance, Philippine Regulations Commissions and other offices that have a say in approving the arrival and purpose of the missionaries and their cargo.

Considering that they come to bring benefit to our people, and are thus volunteers in our cause to promote public service, it is ironic that our policies and agencies are not designed to treat their purpose and presence with the kind of priority and cooperative treatment they deserve.

It is tragic to realize that the quality of special treatment and cooperation that they receive is not dependent upon a uniformed government policy but upon the political clout of whoever sponsors them.

Learning from our observations, we propose that the processing system for the approval of   foreign medical missions be improved in areas such as the following:

1. Expediting the processing of permits

2. Ensuring that all approvals would be served concomitantly

Approval to operate from the Professional Regulations Commission and permit to claim cargo, supplies and equipment form the Bureau of Customs would for example be granted at the same time.

This can be realized through the creation of a special desk or agency wherein the concerns of all above mentioned agencies may all be processed though a one-stop-shop system. Let this be designed as an exclusive interoffice agency upon which all future foreign medical missions may be applied for, processed, and approved.

Considering that medical missions concern heat issues, we further suggest that this desk or agency be under the management of the Department of Health.

We forward this suggestion as a contribution of ideas on behalf of the interest of the people who benefit form foreign medical missions, and on behalf of the interest of the missionaries who would welcome a more efficient rapport between our government and their organizations.

 

Sunday Punch article on PAMAG MedMission

February 11, 2007

Phil-Am medical mission serves 3,000 poor patients

More than 80 major surgical operations were performed on some 3,000 indigent patients in Pangasinan during the week-long Philippine-American Medical Association medical mission at the Regional Medical Center in Dagupan City that started February 5.

Dr. Jesus Canto, hospital director, described the activity as “the biggest mission so far that made its impact on the lives of Pangasinenses, especially the poor.”

The medical mission, hatched two years ago by Director Canto and Lyceum-Northwestern University president Gonzalo Duque, was undertaken by a select group of  outstanding Filipino American doctors and  personnel, assisted  by a Pangasinan medical complement led by Dr. Canto.

On opening day, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told newsmen the Filipino-American medical mission was “a boon to our kababayans because they received expert medical consultation and cure and surgery, not to mention high quality medicines, all for free.”
Led by US-based Dr. Grace Duque-Dizon and Dr. Vic Bautista, the group started a similar medical mission in Cebu City the other year. It was there where the idea of a Dagupan medical mission was conceptualized  with the help of Atty. Duque, Dr. Canto and  the officers of the Philippine -American Medical Association  of Georgia.

The Duques have donated several facilities to the RMC including a modern conference hall, equipment worth millions of pesos.

Canto said “the Duques are a God-send to the poor people in Pangasinan who cannot avail themselves of modern medical care.”

The tradition began during their father’s stint as secretary of health and as Pangasinan governor.

The late Secretary Duque Jr., was the father of Medicare in the country.
 

 

Philippine Information Agency features PAMAG donation

PIA Press Release
2007/02/06

PAMAG donates equipment, medicines to Pangasinenses
By Venus May H. Sarmiento

DAGUPAN CITY (6 February) — A pacemaker, worth $44,000 is perhaps the most expensive medical equipment to be donated by the Philippine –American Medical Association of Georgia to Pangasinan, not to mention other machines, tons of medicines and even medical books, all absolutely free. This is over and above the four-day medical mission in the city.

PAMAG Executive Director Grace Bautista said the team came to the Philippines upon the invitation of Atty. Gonzalo Duque of the Lyceum Northwestern University who flew to Cebu to personally invite them during the team’s mission there in 2005.

“We have been working to achieve this mission since the day he invited us. And we’re here to give quality service and not just the numbers,” Bautista said.

Among the equipments to be donated are four anesthesia machines, 38 electric beds, 21 mattresses, nebulizers, vital signs monitor , breast pumps and even medical books which the team loaded in a 40 x20 container vehicle.

“We also sent in 40 balikbayan boxes of collected stuff- medicines and supplies from our own doctors and we are expecting 17 more boxes due for shipment here tomorrow,” Bautista added.

Dr. Lilia Capuy, Director of the Mission’s out-patient department said a patient will not spend a single centavo in the mission.

“All medicines and operations are free but our only requirement is that they must be indigents,” Capuy said.

“The doctors and nurses and allied professionals in the out-patient section is only one part of the group. The other groups are performing minor and major surgery operations simultaneously,” she added.

The team has been working since their arrival in Sunday — visiting patients to be operated on and opening and classifying tons of medicine boxes.

Bautista said the team is overwhelmed by the hospitality and goodwill of the people of Pangasinan. (PIA-Pangasinan)

Sun Star Pangasinan on PAMAG MedMission

 

 

Group to give free health services to Pangasinenses

DAGUPAN CITY — The Philippine American Medical Association of Georgia (Pamag) based in the US is in Pangasinan.

The team will hold a medical mission at the Dagupan City Astrodome starting Monday until Thursday. The missionaries are 12 surgeons, doctors, optalmologists, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other health workers.

Their local partner institutions are the Region 1 Medical Center (RIMC) headed by Jesus Canto, Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU) led by Gonzalo Duque, University of Pangasinan (UP), Villaflor Hospital, and others.

Pamag officials Marilyn Beltran, Grace Duque-Dizon and Grace Bautista lead the medical missionaries. They joined Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in inaugurating the newly renovated facilities at RIMC on Saturday.

Beltran said Pamag was organized in 1976 with Dr. Luigi Villanueva as founding president. They hold medical mission every two years. The last time was in 2005 in Cebu.

“This is one way for the organization to give back to mother country Philippines medical services to destitute people and to those that need medical care. We want to give them this kind of service which is totally free from medical services, medications, surgery, all the way,” she said.

“We’d like to come back and serve our people. It is our way of giving back something to our kababayans (town mates) through this mission, share our experiences, bring fellowship, and to learn about the health situation in our country” added Dizon.

Four pre-screened patients will receive pacemakers (the total cost of which is US$40,000). Dr. Moe Bishara will carry out the operations at the Villaflor Hospital.

About 500 patients a day are expected to avail of the free medical services.

Bishara said what they brought with them is a dual-chamber pacemaker. “It is a pacemaker that stimulates the upper and lower portion of the heart. The operation costs is as much as the pacemaker but we are not charging anything for these. Not having a pacemaker means you live your life with a heartbeat of 20 beats a minute instead of 70 or 80 or 100 or 120. It will improve the people’s lives immensely. Thanks to you. God has allowed everything to go as planned. Those patients will have their lives change tremendously,” he said.

He thanked Pamag for inviting him to come along. He said he has a soft spot for the Philippines as he used to come in the past with other mission groups back in the 1990s.

Secretary Duque thanked the group for coming to Pangasinan.

“Certainly, the mission will benefit thousands of poor and destitute from many communities. Your efforts are commendable. If it is not asking too much, we would like to institutionalize this partnership with Pamag and the various healthcare institutions of the province of Pangasinan,” he said of Pamag officials and members.

“This is probably one of the proposals that you would want to consider in your next board meeting. This way we can have a long term partnership and this way I believe your efforts to make a difference in the lives of the poor in this part of the country will be better appreciated, and be measured by the long-term relations that we hope to be able to forge together,” he added. (LCMY/Sunnex)

MEDICAL SURGICAL MISSION SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

03 FEB (Saturday) – Arrival in Dagupan City

• 10:00 a.m. – Motorcade from Camiling to be participated by R1MC, L-NU, Dagupan PNP
• 12:00 p.m. – Lunch to be hosted by L-NU
• 01:00 p.m. – Hotel Registration
• 03:00 p.m. – Press conference with Health Sec. Francisco T. Duque III & PAMAG missionaries at R1MC library
• 05:00 p.m. – Inauguration of:
• Dr. & Mrs. Francisco Q. Duque, Jr. Conference Hall
• Newly renovated Neonatal ICU, Recovery Room, Waiting Area, and Covered Pathway
• 06:00 p.m. – Mass
• 07:00 p.m. – Dinner and Welcome Program c/o R1MC
• Hon. Sec. Francisco T. Duque III as guest of honor and speaker

 

04 FEB (Sunday)

• 09:00 a.m. – Orientation/Briefing at R1MC Dr. FQD Conference Hall
• Tour around the hospital and Dagupan People’s Astrodome
• Sorting out of medicines & supplies, BFAD inspection with R1MC & LNU pharmacists, R1MC Nursing Service & Supply personnel assisting
• 07:00 p.m. – Dinner
• Host: Dagupan City Hall 
• Venue: Dagupan City Plaza

05 FEB (Monday)

• 08:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.
• General Consultations at Dagupan City Astrodome
• Dr. Leo Carbonel (City Health Officer) as overall contact person
• Dental procedures at L-NU
• General Surgeries at R1MC
• Eye surgeries at R1MC / Pangasinan Medical Center
• Pacemaker implantation at Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital
• Lunch and snacks c/o R1MC
• 07:00 p.m.
• Dinner & CME Session 1
• Host: Speaker Jose de Venecia 
• Venue: Lenox Hotel

06 FEB (Tuesday)

• 08:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.
• General Consultations at Dagupan City Astrodome
• Dental procedures at L-NU
• General Surgeries at R1MC
• Eye surgeries at R1MC / Pangasinan Medical Center
• Pacemaker implantation at Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital
• Lunch and snacks c/o R1MC
• 07:00 p.m.
• Dinner
• Host: Dr. Salvador T. Duque
• Venue: President’s Hotel, Lingayen

07 FEB (Wednesday)

• 08:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.
• General Consultations at Dagupan City Astrodome
• Dental procedures at L-NU
• General Surgeries at R1MC
• Eye surgeries at R1MC / Pangasinan Medical Center
• Pacemaker implantation at Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital
• Lunch and snacks c/o R1MC
• 07:00 p.m.
• Dinner
• Host: Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque
• Venue: Atty. Gonzalo Duque’s Residence, Tapuac, Dagupan City

08 FEB (Thursday)

• 08:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.
• General Consultations at Dagupan City Astrodome
• Dental procedures at L-NU
• General Surgeries at R1MC
• Eye surgeries at R1MC / Pangasinan Medical Center
• Pacemaker implantation at Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital
• Lunch and snacks c/o R1MC
• 07:00 p.m.
• Dinner PAMAG Night 
• Host: PAMAG
• Venue: Dagupan De Luxe Restaurant

09 FEB (Friday)

• 08:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
• General Consultations at Dagupan City Astrodome
• Dental procedures at L-NU
• General Surgeries at R1MC
• Eye surgeries at R1MC / Pangasinan Medical Center
• Lunch and snacks c/o R1MC
• 01:00 p.m. to 03:00 p.m.
• Continuing Education (Nursing) 
• Venue: Dr. & Mrs. FQD Conference Hall, R1MC
• 03:00 p.m. to 05:00 p.m.
• CME Session II
• Dinner
• Host: University of Pangasinan
• Venue: Gerry’s Grille