D4EVF Donates Medical Equipment and Supplies to Sta. Scholastica’s Mission Hospital

With the Covid19 pandemic lockdown in the Philippines seemingly with no end in sight, the face-to-face dental missions of the D4EVF has been placed on hold until further notice. The foundation last held a dental mission in February 2020 at Barangay Ipil, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro.

However, in spite of the inability to do the missions, the Foundation has not stopped in their activities to continually help the poor and the underserved in the Philippines.

In early, September 2021, Sister Amadea Donadilla, the administrator of the rural Sta Scholastica’s Mission Hospital at Pambuhan, Northern Samar, sent the Foundation an urgent message requesting  medical equipment. Apparently, their only ultrasound unit at their Maternity and Neo Natal unit had broken down thereby curtailing their abilities to provide service to their patients.  For the last three months they had been using a loaner from another hospital from another province. Being a small mission hospital that relies mostly on donations, they don’t have the ability to immediately procure a replacement. She also sent a list of other equipment urgently needed.

In response to the request, the Foundation immediately sent out donation requests and within four days, donations started to come in.  As of this writing, the following friends and supporters of the D4EVF sent monetary donations:

• Dr. Lourdes Santos-Aquino of Van Nuys, CA
• Dr. Loida B. Parungao of Los Angeles, CA
• Dr. Victor M. Rosales of Covina, CA
• Dr. Maritoni S. Olaer of Eagle Rock, CA
• Dr. Raquel and Dr. Ramil Macasaet, Chatsworth, CA
• Dr. Jack Moreno of Chatsworth, CA
• Dr. Corazon Bustos-Ali of Escondido, CA

To supplement the donations, D4EVF Officers, Mrs. Marcela L. de la Vega and Dr. Ed de la Vega matched the donations.

With that, the following equipment were immediately procured:

1. Ultrasound Unit  (1pc) with a dedicated HP inkjet printer
2. Patient’s Monitors with algorithms for arrhythmia, temperature, NIBP, SpO 2  (2pcs)
3. Portable aspirators (suction) machines for adults (2pcs)
4. Portable aspirators (suction) machine for pediatric patients (1pc)
5. Sphygmomanometers for adults (3pcs)
6. Sphygmomanometers for pediatric patients (2 pcs)
7. Electronic pulse oximeter (1pc)
8. Disposable thermometers ( 200 pcs)

In addition N95 masks, face shields and personal protective equipment were sent as well.

These equipment and supplies had been boxed and sent visa BalikBayan Box door-to-door shipment and are expected to be received with in 60 days barring any more extension of the Covid19 quarantine in the Philippines.

In the meantime, fund raising is still on going to purchase oxygen concentrators, EKG machines and portable defibrillators. Another equipment needed is a central vacuum unit for the dental clinic that the Foundation donated to the hospital in 2018.