Newsletter 3-2018

Bugko, December 2018

Dear members, dear friends and supporters of Mabuhay

On August 17, after a long time we again joined a medical mission with our volunteers. Location was the cathedral in Catarman and the target audience was the population of North Samar. Correspondingly many patients came. In addition to a rough medical examination, there was also a mobile dental station and a place where reading glasses were distributed. With these medical missions, everything is free and patients come with a variety of ailments that often can not be fully treated as it requires more diagnostics. For many patients, however, it is still an option to get at least a little help to improve their condition.

One week later, on August 24, arrived Dr. Georg Fobes and Mrs. Barbara Schäfer, a former geriatric nurse, who worked in the House Elisabeth in Bonn. For Dr. Fobes it was the third visit. Mrs. Schäfer had heard about our project and wanted to come with him especially to get to know our work in the new day care center and to do some activities with the seniors. The seniors came in large numbers and participated in the offered program such as gymnastics, dance and games very enthusiastically. Besides, she helped in our other programs.
The patients had expected Dr. Fobes for a long time, because he was able to help many of them with his great experience.

On September 15, Super Typhoon Mangkhot hit the north of the Philippines with wind speeds up to 270 km/h. It was the 15th typhoon this year. Again there was great destruction, especially in the agricultural sector. There were landslides, floods, power cuts and many people lost their homes and belongings. Thank God there were not thousands of victims again, as 2013 in Tacloban. I think the pictures of that time are still present to all of us. The population was much better prepared this time by many emergency trainings that have been conducted since 2013. Nevertheless, there were still over 100 victims. Our clinic was affected only by a lot of wind and rain, but there were nearly no damages.

Many of you have written and called. Once again we have seen how much you are are connected to us and the project. Many thanks for the many requests and greetings. We are not alone!!

While the storm was raging in the Philippines, the Family Meyer in Ippendorf again prepared and packed our transport with supplies of all kinds. For years they have been collecting used clothes, toys, tools, medical aids, medicines and much more in their garage. Family Meyer packs everything and the boxes and packed objects go on a long journey. A transport takes 2-3 months. We have the opportunity to send packages three times a year. Due to the good packaging, the boxes arrive in top condition here and there are no damages inside. Thanks to the "Packing Team" Mrs. and Mr. Meyer and of course to all who collect again and again and send all the things to Family Meyer.

From October 28 till 30, Tobias Rast, President of the German Club in Manila, and Philipp Schlohsnagel, Director of the Welfare Committee, came to see our programs, especially the nutrition program. Since 2011, the German Club in Manila supports us in the care of the children. There are currently 90 children in our nutrition program. Many families have no regular income here and in recent months food prices have risen significantly. Families are grateful that we help them to care for the children by having a nutritious meal every day. The children are regularly weighed and cared for if necessary.
In the short time of their visit, they also got a glimpse to our other programs, such as the fluoroprophylaxis program and the medicinal plant project.

The medicinal plant project has received our special attention in recent months. Finally, the weather allowed us to have a good crop of raw materials and dry them as well. Also helpful was the new drying machine, which allowed us to dry the plants even in the rain. Two young women from Bugko support us in the manufacture of the products. We were able to make different teas, ointments, cough syrup and soap.

Newsletter 2-2018

Bugko, in August 2018

Dear members, dear friends and supporters of Mabuhay!

On April 16, our new thyroid diagnostic devices went into operation. Every year we see many patients with thyroid disease. Previously, the lab always had to be sent to Catarman and from there to Calbayog, the nearest town 100km away from us. There was no thyroid diagnosis in the whole province. We have such a device now, thanks to the commitment of the German Embassy. In the meantime, other physicians who have settled here send their lab to us as they get quick results.

On April 29, Dr. Karin Stilo and her daughter Dorothea came to Bugko. Karin is a friend of mine. It was a great joy when she offered to help us at the clinic. In addition to the clinic she also advised us in the farm and gave valuable tips. Dorothea was the reinforcement for our pharmacy and cafeteria. She also sorted our medicines and did a lot of inventory.

After the first few months of rain this year, the weather got better and better and our planting in the farm finally flourished. We were able to harvest a lot of vegetables and fruits. Our new chicken farm also brought good yields.

At the end of June, our extension to the existing operating room was completed. Once again, thanks to the generous help of the organization of German dentists, we were able to build a preparation room for the patients to be operated on and a changing room for doctors, staff and patients in our operating room. In the future we will be able to carry out eye surgery on an outpatient basis. The additional room will bring greater sterility for our operated patients.

Our second big project was the fencing of the property behind the senior day care center. This was necessary to protect the property firstly from moving the property boundary and secondly to protect our plantings from theft. The plot behind the senior day care center is very spacious and we immediately planted corn and pumpkin. With the additional acreage we can now cover our own needs for vegetables. Part of the area is also used to grow Moringa Olifera, which we need in large quantities for our medicinal plant project. We hope that the weather will stay on our side for a while and we will be spared typhoons and heavy storms so that everything does not break again.

As you can see from the report, a lot has happened here in the last months at the Mabuhay clinic. Without the big support from Germany, we would not have come this far. Further, the main focus remains on the patient. Most of our patients are poor and can not afford medical or dental treatment in the city. Therefore, once again a "THANK YOU" to all doctors and dentists who make the long journey to us to help the poor.

I wish you all a nice rest of the summer. The temperatures in Germany this year reached almost our temperatures at Bugko.
I greet you warmly
                                
Sabine Korth

Newsletter 1-2018

Dear members, dear friends and supporters of Mabuhay!

On December 18th, 2017 our annual general meeting took place and I was glad that I could come to Germany and meet many of you. I am always pleased to see how interested you are in our project in Bugko, and it is great that new friends are joining in to support us in our cause.

The year 2017 ended with two typhoons coming in quick succession, and right at the beginning of the year another typhoon hit us, causing major floods and making many roads impassable. Our farm suffered a lot and we lost a lot of plants and a mother pig and 13 piglets. In mid-January and mid-February came more storms and brought flooding again. I saw people wading through the water to chest height to save their belongings. That's how the year started with natural disasters that made it difficult for our patients to come here. In North Samar, the governor declared the state of emergency.

On January 12, Dr. Barbara Rautenberg from Bad Kötzting arrived  to help in the clinic. She is a general practitioner and had previously gained experience in the Philippines, as she was with the German Doctors several times in the country. Young and old patients were in good hands with her. She also saw many very seriously ill patients who were beyond help. We were glad about the experienced doctor and I learned a lot from her. In total, she saw over 1000 patients. On February 6th, her husband Christofph joined us, so we also had additional internistic support. He is also specialized in ultrasound examinations and so our existing device was used again.

Unfortunately, at the beginning of the year we again saw many patients with advanced tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is one of the most common diseases here and often it is not treated at all, so that many, even very young patients die. In diagnostics, therefore, the new X-ray device is a huge help.

On February 4, Sr. Veronica and I visited the state prison in Allen with a group of local religious. There are 98 prisoners detained for various offenses. We brought them hygiene items, laundry detergent for their clothes and something to eat. Finally, a holy mass was celebrated. It was a very moving visit, as the circumstances under which the prisoners live are very inadequate and the simplest things are missing. We hope we could help a little.

On the 16th of February the dentist Dr. Lindner with his wife Evelyn from Bad Kötzting came to us. Jan König and Marisa Wingels from Aachen arrived with the same plane from and on 18 February Yannik Sillmann, also a dental student from Ulm, arrived.. With the experienced support of Dr. Lindner they treated many patients.

In the middle of February, the team from ISM (International Surgical Mission) from Colorado / USA came to our clinic to carry out the outpatient operations and in Biri the operations under general anesthesia. This year the team was very large and in our clinic nearly 40 patients were operated. Many people can not afford necessary operations in the city. ISM has been coming to North Samar for 14 years now. Throughout the year, we examine patients with inguinal hernias, breast tumors, fibroids and glandular disease to prepare them for ISM. At Dr. Thropha Ann Wright  the patients have been in experienced hands.

Our senior day care center is used very intensively. There are many events taking place and the seniors from Bugko are happy to have a place where they can be together. They meet for cooking, dancing, playing and lecturing. In the future, the program will be extended. The chairman of the senior community is very active. The seniors keep the building clean and feel responsible.

From the 17th to the 20th of March Dr. Klaus De Cassan from the German Dentists' Association (HDZ) came to train the volunteers in the Fluoroprophylaxis Program and to answer questions. It was a two-part seminar with theory and practice. The practical part took place in our dental clinic and was attended by children of the Fluoroprophylaxis Program and their mothers. The focus of the seminar was on training in proper oral hygiene and good nutrition. The problem with children here is that they eat too much sweets and do not do proper dental care. Therefore, we see so many children with tooth decay and other diseases of the oral cavity. All our volunteers came to the training.

There are three busy and intensive months behind us and so I thank you for your manifold help. We feel again and again that our concern here is also yours. And so I greet you in cordial connection and wish all a Happy Easter.

Yours


Sabine Korth
         
                                                                                     
Salamat (Thanks) from Bugko!