Interplast Australia Medical Mission

Putting a Smile to a Child.
By: PP Chito Sarraga

For the past eleven years now, the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro in cooperation with an organization called INTERPLAST Australia and the Committee of German Doctors has put “a smile” to over one thousand indigent children.

INTERPLAST is a medical mission composed of doctors and nurses who come to the host country, city for the general purpose of conducting surgical operations on mostly children with cleft lip and palate disorder.

The project aims to conduct free cleft lip and palate operations on indigent children here in our city and the neighboring provinces. This team of Australian Doctors has been coming to Cagayan de Oro and stays for 10 days to conduct the operations for free. Its interesting to note that the team shoulders their own plane fares and hotel accommodations. They bring their own medical equipments, and some medicines. The Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro, for our part coordinates and screens the beneficiaries at the same time facilitate their movements and other needs during their stay here.

Because of the very nature of the project, it has encouraged so much generosity not only from the members of the Rotary Club, but also from other sources like the Gabriel Symphony Foundation and even some anonymous donors and benefactors. It has also encouraged the participation of the general membership into the project.

Again our heartfelt thanks to the Team headed by Dr. Mike and Dee McGlynn, to Drs. Joe and Ruth McGuinness, Dr. John McCarty, Dr. Kevin Ho and to Nurse Daniel McGuinness and to Rotary Clubs in Australia, your kindness is overwhelming. The Filipino angels will always be indebted to you.

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