How It Works
The overseas volunteers are assembled by Operation Smile International -- plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, speech therapists, nurses, etc. as many as 80 - and they bring with them all the equipment, medicines, and supplies that they need for the medical mission. The moment they arrive, they are joined by their Filipino counterparts led by members of the Philippine Association of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeons (PAPRAS) and the Philippine Society of Anesthesiologists and then go to the various designation sites. OSP, the local affiliate, picks up the tab for local transport, food, and accommodation in cooperation with the site hosts and coordinators.
The mission takes about one week, usually in February. The first two working days are devoted to screening the patients and the next five, to surgeries. Cleft lip surgery takes about 45 to 60 minutes.
Post operative care in handled by designated post-op teams, and later by the hospitals on the sites, if there is need for it.
How do we affect, restore, improve and protect children's health? A network of these elements:
From the beginning, OSI has been preparing for the time when it should no longer be necessary for an international mission to come. OSI has an education program to reinforce the knowledge of local surgeons and inspire them to devote time to rendering work for free. Every year, beneficiary countries are asked to send two or more medical practitioners to Norfolk for a Participants Training Program, two weeks of training and exposure to complicated cranio-facial cases.
Additionally, OSI provides two-year full clinical fellowships in cranio-facial/microsurgery and pediatric anesthesia for qualified candidates. The Philippines has three individual surgeons who have gone through this. When they return, they are given free expensive equipment.
During international missions, the overseas volunteers hold symposia for the local medical society to exchange information on surgical and other medical issues. In the last two (2) years, scientific lectures have also been conducted by the local volunteers.
During the mission in March 1999, OSI left behind five complete portable operating room equipment that the local plastic surgeons can use for local missions. They have done several local missions in cooperation with NGO's and LGU's at Echague and Roxas, Isabela; Tuguegarao City; Laoag City; Silay City; Dasmariñas, Cavite; Butuan City; Sto. Tomas, Batangas; some towns in Cebu; and some towns in Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte.
OSI is also planning to establish in the Philippines a Cranio-Facial Center for Asia to be run by a consortium of Filipino specialists with equipment to be donated by OSI.
