USNS Mercy Ship surgery helps 200 Samarnons

By Ninfa Iluminda B. Quirante

Thursday 28th of June 2012

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, June 28 (PIA) -- The United State Navy Ship (USNS) Mercy attended to almost 200 patients since the first day of accepting 40 patients per day inside the USNS Mercy Ship.

The USNS Mercy Ship has 12 surgery rooms, four x-ray equipments, a physical therapy center, computed tomography (CT) scan unit, pharmacy, dental suite, angiography suite, optometry and lens laboratory, two oxygen-producing plants, and a blood bank with 5,000 units of blood.

It is a floating hospital with services such as surgery, primary health care clinics, preventive medicine, and biomedical equipment repair.

“This is a challenging and unique mission that requires an advanced level of seamanship, dedication, and sensitivity,” said Captain Jonathan Olmsted.

Corita Sobido, 46, with three kids from Samar and one of the myoma patients, said “Napakaswerte ko na magkaroon ng ganitong prebilehiyo at makapunta dito at makapagpaopera ng walang anumang bayarin o gastos pati sa medisina (I was very lucky to have the privilege to come here, undergo surgery without any expense on operation and medicine).”

She added that it has been a year since she was diagnosed with a myoma but cannot afford to pay P60,000 for the operation. She just seemed helpless as the myoma grew in size.

“I am really happy and very thankful to our government, to the Pacific Partnership and to all the USNS Mercy doctors and nurses for their kind treatment during my stay here,” Sobido added.

Patients on surgery need to stay overnight before their operation for the health check. After the surgery, the patients will stay for a day until recovery depending on what type of operation they will go through.

The USNS Mercy surgery attended to patients with cataract, myoma, and to a patient with an infected leg.

USNS Mercy will stay until July 1. (EOT/NBQ-PIA8, Samar with Avha H. Ebalde)