Medical Mission Update July 26, 2010

As promised here is the latest update on our medical mission here on the island of Pilar Camotes, Cebu Philippines, just at the mouth of Ormoc Bay, Leyte!

It has been a busy ten days! There has been the tropical typhoon that I last posted about, a severe water shortage due to an almost year long drought as a result of El Nino, and now severe flooding in some places by a tropical storm. On top of this, there is an outbreak of dengue fever on the island of Mindanao that has resulted in several deaths and is being investigated as a possible new strain!

Here on Pilar we have had another death from a stroke, a major motorcycle vs. child pedestrian vehicle accident that resulted in one child with a significant head injury and another with a fractured hip. These children required evacuation and hospitalization on the island of Leyte.

We have continued to treat several people as part of our medical mission and helped with a one day medical mission that happens about once a year! This medical mission came from the island of Cebu which is about 35 miles away (about 2 1/2 hours by fast ferry)! This one day medical mission clearly displays the medical needs of this island and I will include some pictures on this post.

I am very thankful to a fellow PA, David Mittman, who has a PA website, Clinician 1, and has graciously offered to include my medical mission blog on his website!

This is Pastor Luis getting a blood pressure checkup and my wife, Rhome.

This is only a portion of the patients waiting to be seen as part of the one day medical mission!

This is some of the continuation of patients lining up for treatment and there is another line just as big on the side of the building!

These are a few of the patients that required minor surgical procedures.

This is a photo of the surgical instruments waiting to be used.

This is a patient being prepped for excision of an infected sebaceous cyst below his ear.

This is a young boy who has had a fractured elbow about a year ago.

This is a young woman who has significant hypo-pigmentation of here face (Vitiligo) since she was in the fifth grade.

This is a young boy who has a toothache from a cavity.

This is a patient with diabetes, hypertension and renal failure.

This is a young girl with conjunctivitis and a URI.

This is a young fisherman who sustained some injuries to his leg from the spines of a sea urchin.

This is the daughter of a patient with end stage lung cancer who only has a few weeks to live. The patient did not wish to be photographed.

Well the boat is about ready to leave to go back to Pilar so I will sign off for now! I hope this post has been educational in relation to the seriousness of the need for medical care on our island!


May God Bless You All! Bye For Now!

Chip Nuttall, PA-C