A team can have a greater yield than one person, and a group of teams can do even more. HOPE worldwide Philippines hosted a medical project involving volunteers from 4 different groups – the Creighton University Medical School which sent 7 volunteers including 1 doctor through the Creighton Medical United in Relief Assistance; the Volunteer Assistance for Community Services sent 24 volunteers; the Metro Manila Christian Church lent one dentist, one doctor and one nurse from their volunteer group. Along with the community volunteers and the HOPE worldwide staff, we were able to serve more than 1000 patients in all 3 sites.

The project started with the coordination of Alyssa Ratzlaff from Creighton University 5 months ago. We went back and forth until the plan to serve 300 children was conceived. The Creighton volunteers are actually medical students who chose to spend time this summer doing medical service in South East Asia, where they spent 8 of their days here in the Philippines.

They served in the Center of HOPE and Sityo Pulo in Brgy. Dela Paz, Binan, Laguna where they assisted and gave medical and dental attention to more than 100 patients in barely 4 hours. The Doctor Bill Gossman with all his energy and joy visited a house of a patient complaining of a blocked urinary catheter. The doctor, the students, and the friends of the patient went back to the activity area fired up, as they had been able to help the patient in correcting his problem. The dentist, Dra. Mercy Jarabello tirelessly wrestled with the teeth of more than 25 patients in this clinic too.

In Payatas, they were joined by 6 volunteers from VACS which is lead by its president, Christina Moradillo. The two days of service in Payatas involved more than 400 patients as we also gave donated toys to the children attended by the student nurses from VACS, the student doctors from Creighton and Dr. Bill Gossman and Dra. Ning Mariano of the MMCC. This is a perfect team as Dra Ning did the check up assisted by nursing graduate PJ Longanilla from VACS and Dr Bill (an Emergency Doctor) went around to supervise what the student nurses and doctors were doing.

In Baseco, more volunteers from VACS assisted in the 2-day project where another 400 plus patients were attended to. One of the medical highlights of the Baseco activity is the draining of abscess on the head of a child, where around half an ounce of blood and puss was removed.

It is so nice to note the fun that the volunteers were having while they did the activities and even more fun as they concluded each day with bonding by games and picture-taking with each other.

The medical activities ended with great joy and yearning to have more as they knew that there are more to be attended to if they have more time. The friendships developed by the individuals in the teams as they joyfully and tearfully part in every end of the activities.

Truly, this is an amazing feat this year as the group of teams attended to more than 1000 patients on 24 hours.

We look forward to seeing more children served by our volunteers as they partner together with HOPE worldwide Philippines in bringing hope and changing lives.

Go to www.HOPEww.org/philippines to learn more about our programs.