My team, Global Healing Hands, and I will be spending one week at Butuan Medical Center where we will be performing a variety of general surgeries. My role will include assisting the surgeon in cholecystectomies, hernia repairs, thyroidectomies, repair of cleft palates, etc. As a physician associate, I will continue to follow with these patients post-operatively during the week to ensure a healthy recovery and effectively communicate follow up with the hospital staff. In addition to providing pro bono surgeries for the residents of Butuan and the surrounding provinces, we will also be giving lectures to the medical staff to share knowledge and collaborate. The lectures will primarily focus on preventative treatment, screenings, and general surgery.
My goal during this mission trip is to provide quality surgical care to the residents on the island of Mindanao, Philippines. This area is geographically isolated with a significant rural population, which makes access to surgical services very difficult for most patients. I will also be providing training and supplies to the hospital staff so that they can continue to improve patient care at their facilities.
With a substantial part of the the population living in underserved areas or in poverty, I will be providing surgical care to patients who likely would be left with untreated conditions due to cost and/or inaccessibility to medicine. The patients will achieve a greater quality of life and our team will build a new international partnership with Butuan Medical Center as this is Global Healing Hands' first mission to this location. Following this mission trip, I look forward to sharing my cultural and surgical experience with my colleagues, friends, and medical community to inspire others to expand their global outreach.
Our mission trip started by meeting with a Filipino based cleft-palate team in Butuan City in Mindanao, Philippines. Both our teams screened patients who had traveled up to 7 hours for an assessment and for possible surgical intervention. We were able to screen over 90 Filipino patients for thyroid lobectomies. The patients who did not require surgery were advised on recommendations for follow up and connected with a social worker to arrange care because many patients lived in extremely remote areas. We were able to bring all of our surgical and anesthesia supplies which allowed us to successfully complete 32 thyroid lobectomies over the next week.
During this time, I was able to further understand the local culture, social structure, and healthcare system. Many of my patients had massive goiters and had been socially rejected or even shunned as their physical appearance had deemed them a pariah in their local villages. However, they did not seek medical care becuase patients had a deep distrust of the healthcare system. Healthcare commonly came with many hidden fees and unfortunately, in many cases, did not allow patients to support their families as a result.
As we had a remarkable organization team in Butuan, we graciously were provided multiple wings at a local hospital where patients and their families could stay pre- and post-operation to receive and coordinate follow-up care. All services offered to our patient, including care, diagnostics, operation, and housing were provided completely free of charge to the patients. For our patients, these surgeries offered access to care they had not previously been able to receive due to both lack of access and financial barriers. However, for most patients, these surgeries meant so much more as another chance at life to once again become confident in their social presence and contribute to their communities.
My experience on this trip truly motivates me to become a better provider in my career. Even more so, it instills a sense of fervor to continue challenging myself and expanding my skills and knowledge to all corners of the world. Thank you Doximity Foundation for granting me this opportunity and allowing me to continue providing quality care to patients across the globe.
