Friday, May 4, 2018

Government doctors and nurses from 12 public hospitals joined a two-day surgical mission in the 5th and 6th districts of Negros Occidental recently, that benefited 168 indigent patients.

Kabankalan District Hospital chief, Dr. Claudelia Josefa Pabillo, BBBFI executive director Mary Ann Dino, Mary Ann Mirasol, Fr. Jude of the Kabankalan Diocese, and Nikki Benitez*

The Nikki Cares surgical mission was held at the Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City, spearheaded by Dominique “Nikki” Lopez Benitez, wife of Rep. Alfredo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District). Free major and minor surgeries were provided to the indigents, a project she has been involved in for the last 20 years covering various provinces in the country, a press release said.

The two-day medical mission in Kabankalan brought together 57 doctors and nurses for the free surgery from the Calatrava Municipal Hospital, Vicente Gustilo Memorial District Hospital, Cadiz District Hospital, Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, Valladolid District Hospital, Salvador Benedicto Memorial Hospital, Ignacio L. Arroyo Sr. Memorial Hospital in Isabela, Gov. Valeriano M. Gatuslao Memorial Disrict Hospital in Himamaylan, Merceditas Montilla District Hospital in Sipalay, Eleuterio T. Decena Municipal Hospital in Hinobaan, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, and the host, Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital.

The 55 major operations covered 19 gynecology cases and 36 general surgery, covering hernia, gallstone, OB, hemorrhoids, and breast mass cases, while 113 were minor operations, including mostly mass and cyst cases.

The beneficiaries were from Himamaylan, La Castellana, Hinigaran, Isabela, Binalbagan, Hinobaan, Cauayan, Candoni, Sipalay, Ilog, and Kabankalan, the press release said.

In November last year, Mrs. Benitez brought a team of doctors and nurses from the Makati Medical Center to conduct free surgery in the 3rd District of Negros Occidental, where 301 patients were assisted in the three-day major and minor operations conducted by 81 health personnel at the Teresita Jalandoni Memorial Provincial Hospital in Silay City.

For the second run of Nikki Cares surgical mission in Kabankalan, Mrs. Benitez acknowledged the support and assistance of the Negros Occidental provincial government, through Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., Congressman Albee and the District Office, Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Stephen Paduano, the Kabankalan City government through Mayor Isidro Zayco, Rep. Mercedes Alvarez Lansang (6th District), Rep. Alejandro Mirasol (5th District), and the Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital through Dr. Claudelia Josefa Pabillo, the press release said.

She also thanked the volunteer doctors and nurses for their services.

The mission was assisted by the Betty Bantug Benitez Foundation, with executive director Mary Ann Dino, and staff, the press release added.*