Monday, September 7, 2009

Biggest Medical Mission in the World

TODAY, some two million patients get treated, and by any luck, one individual walks his way to the millionaires' row if he wins in the P75M richer tax-free lotto for this year's diamond anniversary draw of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). 

The PCSO offers the P75-million lotto, in time for the agency's 75th Anniversary today. 

"For the 75 years of continued support, we are giving away more than P100M pesos in our diamond anniversary traditional Sweepstakes Draw as our way of thanking Filipinos, says PCSO Visayas director William Medici during a press conference here.  

A huge part of the lotto proceeds get poured into the agency's social services programs.  

According to Dr. Larry Cedro, 30% of the PCSO lotto go to charity upon which some 163,940 individual patients across the country have benefited from the agency's medical assistance program.  

Health authorities revealed that an estimated 6,660 Boholano patients have benefited from the agency's charity funds and other services. 

From the proceeds, PCSO also maintains endowment accounts at the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran and some municipal health facilities. 

Today, more than 100,000 doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, health workers, medical professionals and concerned citizens from government and private sector perform the record breaking biggest act of charity in the country. 

All of Bohol's 1109 barangays would be covered in the mission, says Capitol Health consultant Fancy Baluyot.  

The "100 Percent in One Day" project of the PCSO's entails nationwide medical, dental and information- gathering mission to cover all of the country's 41,995 barangays.  

The project is envisioned to be both the 75th Anniversary of PCSO and a window for marginalized Filipinos from all over the country to access medical care and organized charity assistance, says Rosario Uriarte, PCSO General Manager and Vice Chair.  

Four doctors, two dentists, four nurses and one pharmacist assisted by health professionals, army doctors and Barangay health workers and tanods set-up the mission areas and its security.  

Aside from general checkups, minor surgeries like the removal of cataracts and lumps, dental services, eye examinations, bone scan and ear check monitor will be available in selected medical mission sites located in government hospitals and rural clinics.

Feeding missions are also coordinated by church based groups to coincide with the missions, sources revealed. 

The mission also distributes free medicines to patients at the sites, mission coordinators in Bohol say. 

"PCSO has been doing monthly medical and dental missions for several years now," says Uriarte. "But this is the first time we'll hold it in large scale in one day, targeting more than two million patients." 

The feeding missions would be conducted in selected barangays, mostly in depressed areas, in coordination with church-based groups and civic organizations.  

The "One Hundred Percent in One Day" project, according to Uriarte, is envisioned to be an annual activity that will serve as a vehicle for spreading the "charity virus," and make organized and systematic sharing coupled with volunteerism as a way of life for Filipinos. (PIA)

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