PORAC, Pampanga — The Mekeni Food Corporation has partnered with RP Healthcraft Carrier Foundation in bringing Hospital on Wheels (HOW) in Barangay Balubad in this town and Barangay Sapang, Bato in Angeles City, where more than a thousand residents benefitted from the conduct of medical check-ups, dental check-ups and extractions, visual screening, and surgeries (cleft lip, goiter, tumors, cysts) during the 2-day mission.
“The vision of HOW is to bring the hospital closer to communities and help the government serve more people, especially those who do not have the capacity to get medical surgeries, which is the most expensive medical attention,” August Vergara, Executive Director of HOW said.
Mekeni president Pruds Garcia and his family welcomed the HOW team, volunteers, and partners in the plant located in Barangay Balubad.
“We are grateful to HOW for conducting the mission in Balubad to help the community and townmates in Porac, as Mekeni shares the same advocacy,” Garcia said. “The entire family is happy to welcome the HOW team in the home of Mekeni and appreciates the service of the doctors and volunteers who traveled from different parts of the country and the world to conduct the two-day mission.”
“This mission is close to our hearts,” Garcia said on behalf of the Garcia family, who helped in rebuilding the community during the Pinatubo eruption in 1991.
The Garcia Brothers, who prepared food and entertainment for the entire team for the 2-day mission, also sent their employees to help the Barangay Officials of Balubad in organizing the activity.
The mission was also conducted in partnership with the local government units of Porac and Angeles City, the Barangay Councils of Balubag and Sapang Bato, and private partners including Mekeni; Philippine Medical Association in Chicago; Auxillary Medical Foundation; Clark Development Corporation; Friends Who Care LLC; UST Medicine Class ’80; Victoriano Luna Medical Center; Thomasian Medical Student Leaders; Clark-Porac Eagles Club; and Aguman Capampangan.
HOW, a mobile healthcare service providing free medical assistance to Filipino families living in areas all over the country, was founded by Filipino surgeon Dr. Jim Sanchez, who has been joining surgical-medical missions since 1985.
Established in 2007 as a mobile surgical unit, it was turned into a hospital bus in 2017 to reach indigent patients in far-flung areas by bringing a fleet of vehicles carrying medical practitioners and equipment to conduct various medical treatments.
To date, HOW has served 30,000 patients in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao since 2017 and they hope to serve more Filipinos around the country in the future by having more buses through the help of partners and donors who shares the same vision to help our kababayans.
