Seventy indigent cleft lip and palate patients from Panay provinces will benefit from the medical mission that will be conducted by the Medical Mission Matters Philippines in partnership with the provincial government on April 19-25, 2023.

Medical Mission Matters coordinator Pepito Miag-ao, in an interview on Tuesday, said that 40 of the target beneficiaries are from Antique while the rest will come from Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan provinces.

The seven-day medical mission that will be performed by two doctors to be assisted by 15 nurses will be hosted by the Culasi District Hospital in the municipality of Culasi.

“The Medical Mission Matters will be providing not only the medicines, and laboratory test but including the fare of the patients so they could go to Culasi,” Miag-ao said.

Miag-ao said they have been partnering with the Antique provincial government through the Provincial Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) under the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) since 2014.

“I estimate there are already more than a thousand Antiqueños who had availed of the medical mission,” Miag-ao said.

Beneficiaries have considered themselves fortunate considering the expenses they would incur when they go to a private doctor for the surgery, he added.

PDAO assistant head Edison Sta. Romana, said in a separate interview that an antigen test will be administered to target beneficiaries on April 18 to ensure that they are free from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infection.

Those negative of Covid-19 will be allowed to undergo surgery the next day.

Medical Mission Matters Philippines is a non-profit organization founded to help indigenous children, especially from the poorest of the poor families in the country. (PNA)