Lingayen- – A total of 5,529 Pangasinenses have availed of the free medical-dental mission which was conducted by Valdez Charitable Foundation in partnership with the Pangasinan Provincial Health Office in the towns of Bayambang and Alcala on February 2 and 3, respectively.
According to the Provincial Health Office (PHO) headed by Dr. Anna Maria Teresa De Guzman, some 1,694 individuals were provided with free medical and dental check-ups/ tooth extractions in Bayambang town while 3,835 were treated in the municipality of Alcala.
PHO stated that among the services offered during the two-day outreach activity include medical and dental consultation, minor surgery, laboratory glaucoma screening among others. Patients were also provided with free haircut, massage and eyeglasses.
The outreach program was conducted following the five-day medical-dental mission of the Association of Pangasinense in America Foundation, Inc. (APAFI) held last January 18 to 22.
Earlier, Dr. De Guzman commended all charitable institutions that lend their helping hands to the province through giving donations of medicine and all sorts of basic household needs and day care stuffs like toothbrushes, towels, slippers, vitamins and food supplements for children.
This, according to her, supports the provincial government’s goal to provide quality and affordable health care for the poor and sick Pangasinenses.
Meanwhile, another group which is the Philippine Medical Mission Foundation of Michigan, USA is set to conduct its medical-dental mission to include minor surgeries this time. This will be held from February 8 to 12 at the Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital (EPDH) to cover the entire 6th district of the province.
Based on PHO report, there are around 35 to 45 foreign missions conducted by different groups in coordination with the provincial government over the past eight years.
The PHO chief also urged other institutions to also share their resources to the province as medical, dental and minor surgical missions can redound to benefit the less-advantaged people in Pangasinan.
De Guzman previously explained that charitable missions which are held in collaboration with the provincial government feature a partnership scheme of resources and manpower. Resources or medicines to be provided by the involved foundations or organizations while manpower specifically health team which composed of doctors, dentists and nurses come from the pool of professionals and well-trained medical practitioners of the various provincial government-run hospitals.
It can be recalled that the administration of Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. has given utmost priority to the health program in its goal to transform Pangasinan as the ‘home of the healthiest Filipinos.’ (Ruby R. Bernardino)