LDS Charities (LDSC) representatives met with doctors from the Quirino Memorial Medical Center earlier this month at the Manila Philippines Area Office (MPAO) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to arrange for the donation of an x-ray machine to their hospital. Medical Center Chief, Dr. Angeles T. De Leon, together with several senior staff members of the hospital visited with Benson Misalucha, the Area Welfare Service Manager, and other humanitarian missionaries who represented LDSC.
Elder Hadlock, LDSC Country Director, shared information on the humanitarian projects in the Philippines. He also talked of the six global initiatives: emergency response, clean water projects, vision care, wheelchair training and distribution, neonatal resuscitation training, and food production. Elder Hadlock excitedly announced that in partnership with the World Health Organization, they have inoculated children in the Philippines against polio.
Elder Hadlock also spoke on the cheerful and happy dispositions of medical personnel at the hospital upon their visit and gratefully spoke of their wonderful attitude of service. Dr. De Leon responded and said, “We have 350 beds in our facility but intake of patients is from 700 to 900. There are often three or more patients to a bed. We are under staffed and over worked, yet the nurses and aides are happy and productive.”
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The highlight of the day was the signing of the Deed of Donation and Acceptance document. Dr. De Leon said, “This x-ray machine will be a great asset to our hospital since we do around 120 x-rays per day." After the signing, the guests then viewed the the x-ray machine that will soon be used in their hospital.
They were then hosted for a tour of the Area Office, the Manila Temple and the Philippines Missionary Training Center (MTC). Ms. Luz Padua, the Chief Nurse at Quirino said, “This place is very, very clean and organized. Everything is safe, secure and very peaceful.” Another administrator from the hospital said, “I just wish we could have some of your facilities be the annex to our hospital!”
The morning event ended with a luncheon and visit among hospital staff and LDS Charities administrators. As the guests prepared to leave, they extended an invitation for LDS Charities to be with them as they commemorate 60 years of service by August of this year.
LDS Charities was created to follow the admonition of Jesus Christ and help others who are in need. Elder Hadlock said of this x-ray machine donation, “We found that there was a great need and this will be a wonderful resource for the Quirino Memorial Medical Center. This partnership is a perfect fit.”