Your Guardian Angel (Part 2)

Medical Mission Time!

We arrived in Brgy 152 Zone 16 on time.... ok... well a little late..

People were already lined up.. there were already tables set up on the river side, chairs on their places, Brgy Health Workers began assessing patients and taking their VS and history, the van where the UP-PGH Mu Sigma Phi Interns rode have already arrived and I thought to myself... "game time"

The Brgy Chairman, "Sir Pogi" and his kagawad began controlling the crowd and they started to settle down. Dr. Cruz started giving out our assignments, kagawads as ushers and security, the brgy health workers stationed at the 1st table.. the TRIAGE area (assessment area), the 8 "brods" are assigned in the consultation area, Ms. Loi in the relief section (clothes and toys) and I along with 3 brgy health workers are assigned in the Pharmacy-Medicine Dispensing Division. Ate Flor told me "Mabuti nalang you're here, I thought I was going to get a crash-course in Pharmacology". We divided ourselves into 2 groups... "Group Tagalupa" -- 2 for the registry (names of patients and medicines dispensed --- to serve as both their documentation and our record) and the other 2 "Group Dyosa" to dispense the medicines par se. I was expecting our job to be a little less toxic since all we have to do was to hand out medicines written on their prescriptions. But I was in for a big surprise. Patients started flooding the Pharmacy, Group Tagalupa began writing down on their yellow pad papers, names and medicines then.... "Doc eto na po" --- 100% of patients were given multivitamins. A number... with antibiotics. Some with carbocisteine... phenylpropanolamine, paracetamol, metoprolol, and mefenamic acid. It felt like I was a chef... or a waiter even.. of a restaurant giving out dishes for orders our customers made. I thought I was still playing Facebook's cafe world. Prescriptions, medicines, bag in a plastic, dispense to the right person (thanks kuya Ike for the "loudspeaker" haha)

This routine continued for hours. Side story, since Doc Philip saw the need for another "consultation area" especially for the pedia patients, he started one beside the pharmacy. And a kagawad assisted him in dispensing medicines to children as per dok's order.

At around 5:00, we started running out of medicines the patients need. So instead, we gave out multivitamins which were abundant with. Lola and the brgy health workers were so kind enough to offer me a slice of buko pie, coke zero and an ensaymada saying "nako doc kumain ka na muna habang wala tayong customer" (there were times na benign ang pharmacy... then paradoxic flooding afterwards). We also started making jokes, share stories and laugh about life. These things made me forget that we were standing and working for almost 5 hours. Beyond that, the smiles on the patients and their "maraming salamat... meri krismas" are priceless. These are things that can never be monetarily compensated. At around 6:00 ---- chairman yelled... CLOSE! and so it ended...

a total of 472 patients were registered... seen, treated and discharged. add a few more who came in late who instead just asked for multivitamins which to Mam Loi was "walang problema!"

The baranggay officials and workers insisted that we eat something, or at least take a snack with us. Lola and my partner in team Dyosa gave me a plate of pancit, a can of coke zero and 2 ensaymadas "ibaon mo doc". We said our goodbyes, a few hugs to new friends.."balik kayo ha, wag kayong magsawa samin"... and parted ways.

We ended the day with an appreciation dinner at the Mabuhay Manor, courtesy of GAAF founder, Ms. Loi Herrera. I was again, chosen to lead the opening prayer (oo dugong busko ako! ^^ ). Dinner! At last, and more than that, a comfy chair. Ms Loi continued the program by asking us to give a few words about us, GAAF and the experience today. As I was thinking of what I was going to say, I realized a lot of things. Of how blessed I am, of what I can and must do, of how our country needs help and how they receive help.

The Guardian Angels of America Foundation --- the name speaks for itself. Our country is very lucky to have people like Ms. Loi and Mr. Bing who, in spite of not being physically present here all the time, are still with us in spirit. In spite of every bad thing that we see, read or hear in the news about our country today, this.... this is something worth our attention. Each one of us stood and said something... "thank you for the opportunity of allowing us to become better doctors".... "she's my officemate and eversince I knew she's into humanitarian projects".... "being a doctor is about treating a person, physically mentally and emotionally... and GAAF is a catalyst to that".... each one had their own story to share. Then, they started handing out certificates of appreciation to all the volunteers and organizers. The program ended with a group picture, honestly, it felt like we were about to take our family photo. We dont know each other personally, their stature, their background, but through the med mission and GAAF, we were like ...family.

At home, I was still overwhelmed with the experience. Tiring? Definitely. But whenever I remember the smiles on their faces, the "maraming salamat"s, the hugs they gave me, the Christmas greetings with flying kisses, the buko pie, the bottomless coke zero and the ensaymada... "walang katumbas na kaligayahan".

More Pictures of the Medical Mission in My Facebook