NAC Foundation, Inc. (NAC-FI), the philanthropic arm of listed natural resource development company Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) and the St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation, Inc. (SLMCFI) held an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialty medical mission at Borongan, Province of Eastern Samar, from May 13-17, 2024.
From left to right: NAC AVP for Occupational Health Dr.Bimbo Almonte, St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation Inc. President Dr. Benjamin S. A. Campomanes, Jr., and Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone.
A total of 18 major surgeries and 8 minor surgeries were carried out by the St. Luke’s team while 473 patients received medical consultations for ENT cases.
Additionally, a total of 158 nurses and ancillary medical staff attended specialized lectures through the St. Luke’s Healthcare Academy.
“For me, the more special portion of this aside from doing the surgery was actually doing the lectures, because if you just go to one place to do the surgeries, the consultations and then leave, it feels like it’s just a one-time thing that you’re able to do. But if you help the ones that are left behind, make them equipped medically with knowledge of the specialty, then they will be able to carry on the treatment necessary for the specialty,” said St. Luke’s Medical Center ENT Department Head Dr. Allan Carpela.
“When the Office of the Governor asked the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, we received a notification last week to ask an authority to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NAC and the St. Luke’s Team, agad-agad binigay namin, dahil sobrang galak kami na andito kayo na tutulong sa amin para sa mabuting kalusugan ng mga tao sa Eastern Samar,” said Eastern Samar Vice Governor Maria Caridad S. Goteesan.
The goal of the partnership between NACFI and SLMCFI is to bring St. Luke’s Medical Center’s culture of care and expertise to those underserved by the public healthcare system.
“Isa sa mga mahahalagang nakita namin ay ang pakikipagugnayan sa kalusugan na napakaimportante sa aming mga stakeholders, ang kalusugan sa mga pamayanan kung nasaan may operations ang Nickel Asia at ang mga programang ito ay nagpatunay na isa ito sa ugnayan ng industriya at pamayanan,” said NAC Assistant Vice President for Community Relations Reynaldo Dela Rosa.
This mission is one of NAC’s ways of contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 which is the promotion of good health and well-being for all.
It also fulfills the MoU between NACFI, SLMCFI, and the Provincial Government of Eastern Samar, for the province-wide surgical-medical mission.
“Mula rito, umaasa po kami ng patuloy na pakikipagtulungan upang makapaghatid ng serbisyong medikal kasama ang aming partner, ang St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation, Inc.,” said NAC Assistant Vice President for Health Dr. Bimbo S. Almonte.
