A total of 138 individuals needing minor and major surgeries are set to benefit from a team of doctors conducting a two-day medical and surgical mission at a government-owned hospital here.

The activity started on Monday at the Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital and was joined by around 50 visiting specialists and doctors from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center-College of Medicine Alumni Association.

The doctors were mostly from the Sina97tala Medical Association, which has partnered with Good Hope Future Foundation, a charity organization, for the initiative, according to Dr. Medeldorf Gaoat, a provincial board member and chairperson of the Committee on Health at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

“We are glad to welcome a kind-hearted group to conduct free surgeries in the province,” Gaoat said.

The selected patients were pre-screened last month before the scheduled operation.

One of them, Claribelle Cabuga, 44, a resident of Barangay San Guillermo, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, told the Philippine News Agency on Monday that she is now admitted at the Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital in preparation for her cholecystectomy on Tuesday.

“I had my checkup in Batac last November and through ultrasound, they found out I have gallstones. They scheduled me for an operation last March 5 but it was postponed due to [the number of] patients in need of emergency procedure,” Cabuga said.

According to Gaoat, free surgeries for hernia, cataracts, cysts, goiter, myopia, tonsils, cleft lip, breast mass, gallstones and hemorrhoids will be available at the provincial hospital until Tuesday.

Aside from the free surgeries, Sina97tala Medical Association also distributed free corrective eyeglasses and sunglasses to around 300 beneficiaries.

It was Sina97tala Medical Association’s second time to conduct a mission in Ilocos Norte. (PNA)