Distinguished Guests Visit Volunteers in the Philippines

Victoria Navarro, President of the Philippine Nurses Association of America, and the governor of Capiz visited HOPE volunteers in Tapaz.
By: Barry Finette, MD, Project HOPE volunteer
Posted: January 28, 2014
Project HOPE volunteers meet with the governor of Capiz in Tapaz, the Philippines

We had our fifth outreach today in Malitbog.  We saw 401 patients – 203 children and 198 adults – with similar types of illnesses as reported in the past.  Once again we had support from the Philippines’ army, and the dentist from the clinic assisted us.  The army and clinic provided one dentist each and performed 70 tooth extractions.  Dr.AK Goodman continues to use her ultrasound to assist in diagnosing the more complicated cases.  One of the patients seen today was still suffering from the mental trauma of the typhoon.  So Liz Parker, one of our volunteer social workers, sat down with her and provided helpful ideas to assist in her recovery.

We were honored to have the President the Philippines NursesAssociation of America (PNAA), Victoria Navarro, to visit and observe our outreach.  She spent the evening talking and discussing issues and interests.

Project HOPE volunteers receive certificates from the governor of Capiz, Tapaz, the Philippines

The Governor of Capiz, where we are located, honored us this evening with a very impressive meal and then a brief slide show, which captured the resilience of the Filipinos.  Approximately 30 people were in attendance, including the Medical Director of Tapaz Regional Hospital, Dr. Gloria, the Chief Nurse, Myrna and the former Mayor of Tapaz.  The governor spoke to the group, thanking us for our help and the medical care we have provided.  The governor hopes we will stay as long as possible, since he believes we have made a huge impact.

Watching and listening to the governor, you could tell how heartfelt and sincere he was.  Following the governor’s talk, Wally Winter, a volunteer nurse, and I were asked to speak.   We thanked everyone for their help and assistance.  Following the talks we were presented with certificates from the governor for our work as medical volunteers.  After the dinner, Wally gave Vicki Navarro a tour of the hospital, acquainting her with the staff.  The opportunity to meet someone of this caliber is infrequent.  All of the nurses wanted photos with Vicki.  Vicki is a very kind lady, and everyone enjoyed her visit and the information she share about her association.