LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Thousands of indigent patients from Baguio City and Benguet province were served by a visiting medical society from the United States at the Benguet General Hospital (BeGH).

Dr. Joseph Cabinta, BeGH hospital administrator said, 120 members of the Philippine Medical Society of North California (PMSNC) coordinated with the Province of Benguet to hold a five-day medical mission at BeGH on January18-22, 2010.

Cabinta said, majority of the patients come from the province of Benguet.

For surgery, most of the cases include thyroid abnormalities, followed by surgical procedures on gall stones and hernia.

The exact number of those served by the group was not available as of press time.

The PMSNC is a social organization based in Northern California with one of its aims to provide medical assistance to the elderly and indigent Filipino-American as well as other minority groups in the US and support medical missions.

According to Maggie Culan, a member of the team and president of the host Lion’s Club in San Francisco, after helping out Filipino-Americans in the States, the group now has expanded its mission to the Philippines.
Last year, Culan said, the group serviced the indigent patients from Nueva Vizcaya, next year the group will be helping out at Sarangani province.

Culan, who belongs to the optometry team of the group said they have served a majority of elderly patients here. The group brought around 4,000 glasses donated by the Lion’s Club in California for distribution in Benguet.

Culan said, if a province wants us to visit their place, all they have to do is apply with the medical society, after which a team will visit the place and check on the hospital and the security of the area where the medical practioners will conduct the medical mission.—larry madarang