Staff and patients of Benguet General Hospital welcomed a visiting Interplast volunteer team, who were back in the Philippines this April.
On our first visit since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our volunteers jumped back into action to support to deliver a busy surgical program. While the number of plastic surgeons within the country has been growing; the demand is still overwhelming. Patients are still waiting for life-saving care, and staff benefit from ongoing support with mentoring and training.
Key staff from Benguet General Hospital, including Dr. Marjorie Rebujio and Dr. Henry Daz, coordinated an excellent and enthusiastic local team to support the visit. The local surgical team included trainee surgeons, registrars, medical officers and nurses; all were extremely engaged and committed to learning.
A representative from the Provincial Governor’s Office presents Interplast volunteer and team leader, Dr Lindsay McBride with a certificate of appreciation.
Changing futures together
The week began with many patient consultations. Our local partners spent time before Interplast’s arrival creating a long list of priority cases; those with severe injuries or congenital conditions that could benefit from immediate treatment.
Every person deserves access to quality care, but with limited time and resources, it is not possible, or necessary, to perform surgery on every patient. As a result, the visiting and local team must make some difficult decisions about how to best prioritise their time, to get the best outcomes for their patients in dire need.
Dr James Leong and Dr William Blake lead the team in theatre.
The team spent much of the following days in theatre, performing life-changing procedures and providing hands-on training to local counterparts.
Dr Henry Daz reported his satisfaction at the success of the visit and the importance of Interplast’s support.
“I had forgotten how truly worthwhile the efforts of Interplast have been in reshaping the lives of these children.
A 3-month-old baby now has a wondrous smile. A kid running for president of his school next year has more confidence. He and his mum told me that his main platform is anti-bullying, based on his experiences with his burn injuries. And a girl, now a teenager, can face the world with more love and respect.
This wouldn’t have been possible without you.”
Out of 57 patient consultations, 45 received life-changing surgical operations that week!
Meet Jaden
One such patient was 11-year-old Jaden, who travelled over 230km with his family to meet the volunteer team. His visit was made possible with the help of Triple B Care Projects, a local non-government organisation and partner, that supports vulnerable patients to access surgery.
We first met Jaden in 2013, when he was just 1 year old. He had been badly burned in an accident, when he pulled over a boiling kettle. Interplast volunteer surgeon Dr Peter Heartsch took a skin graft from his left leg to repair his damaged palm.
Despite the success of this surgery, Jaden did not receive the ongoing care needed, and re-developed some small contractures, which prevented full function of his hand.
Jaden with his mum and Val Orr-Smith of Triple B Care Projects, prior to his surgery this year.
As he grew, he experienced discrimination and teasing from his peers, and became very reluctant to go to school. Triple B Care Projects supported Jaden and his parents to see the Interplast team again in 2024, to see what more could be done.
Following a happy reunion with Dr Haertsch, and a full review by the Interplast team, Jaden was bought to the operating theatre on the 17th of April. His contractures and scars were divided and removed, and another a skin graft taken to repair his hand.
Jaden is feeling much more hopeful for his future after his surgery.
Jaden’s parents had spoken of their concerns for their son as he approached high-school. He still struggled with discrimination and ongoing pain also made it difficult for him to participate in some activities. They expressed their relief that they were able to access treatment for their son.
Acknowledgements
Interplast has been working in the Philippines for 24 years. We have had the honour of building strong relationships with staff in hospitals across the country. We extend our thanks to the staff of Benguet General Hospital and the Benguet Provincial Government Department of Health for their hospitality.
We also wish to thank our generous funders in the Rotary Club of Ryde, Rotary Club of Concord, and Rotary District 9675 and Rotary Clubs of District 9780, for making this trip possible.
