Samahang Operasyon Sagip in close coordination with network members, Council for Health and Development (CHD), Community Medicine Development Foundation (COMMED) and the Health Student Action (HSA) successfully kicked off its “SOS Summer Health Mission” last April 17-20, 2015 through the conduct of a medical and dental mission in the two island barangays of Himyangan and Lamingaw in Villareal Western Samar. The “Summer Health Mission” is a series of medical and dental missions which part of SOS’s continuing support to families affected by disasters in Eastern Visayas. The Summer Health Mission aims to respond to the health and medical needs of communities which were badly hit by Typhoons Ruby and Senyang in December 2014.
More than 30 members and volunteers of SOS including four medical doctors, 1 dentist, 1 optometrist, 5 medical and nursing students and community health workers actively participated in the medical and dental mission in Barangay Himyangan and Lamingaw. With mild drizzles, the mission participants braved the 45-minute boat ride from the Villareal port to island Barangays of Himyangan and Lamingaw.
The medical and dental mission team provided needed medical and dental services to 1,130 community members in Barangays Himyangan and Lamingaw. The medical-dental mission was able to give medical consultation and treatment to 602 patients; minor surgical services to 105 patients (circumcision and cyst removal); dental services to 168 patients and eye refraction services to 135 patients; 300 pairs of eye glasses were provided to patients in the two barangays
The Summer Health Mission will be holding the next batches of medical mission in the coming weeks.
The schedules of next medical mission activities are slated on the following dates:
- April 17-20, 2015 – Barangay Himyangan and Lamingaw, Villareal, Western Samar
- May 8-11, 2015 – Mabini, Basey, Western Samar
- May 16-18, 2015 – General McArthur, Western Samar
- May 28-30, 2015 – Pinabacdao, Western Samar