Operasyon Pinoy: Operasyon Bingot at Ngongo
(Operasyon Pinoy: Operasyon Ngiti)
Department of Surgery
Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center
A Primer
June, 2002
What is Operasyon Pinoy?
Operasyon Pinoy is a monthly
in-hospital surgical mission for indigent Filipino patients with surgical
disorders conducted by Filipino surgeons.
It is part of the social
responsibility program – Healthy Urban Poor – Health for All Filipino Movement
of the Department of Surgery of Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center (OMMC).
Operasyon Pinoy was launched
in September, 2002 starting with Operasyon Bosyo (goiter) in OMMC under the
leadership of Dr. Reynaldo O. Joson, chair of the Department of Surgery, and
Dr. Christia S. Padolina, hospital director.
Subsequently, Operasyon Kanser sa Suso (breast cancer), Operasyon Luslos
(hernia), Operasyon Bato sa Abdo (gallbladder stones), and other common surgical
disorders were launched.
What is Operasyon Bingot
at Ngongo? What is Operasyon Ngiti?
It is a social
responsibility program of the OMMC Department of Surgery intended for indigent
Filipino patients with bingot (cleft lip) at ngongo (cleft palate). [Oral cleft is a term that includes both
cleft lips and cleft palates.]
Operasyon Ngiti is Operation
Smile in English. “Smile” is the
popular term for surgical mission on cleft lip and palate all over the
world. Note: Deliberation is still
ongoing on which phrase to use in the long run.
Operasyon Bingot at Ngongo
has 3 objectives: service, training, and research.
Service
It is a surgical mission for
indigent Filipino patients with oral clefts performed by surgeons affiliated
with OMMC Department of Surgery.
Initially, the focus will be on indigent Manilan patients. In the future, if logistics will allow, the
mission will be extended to indigent non-Manilan patients with oral clefts.
Training
Simultaneous with the
performance of surgical service, Operasyon Bingot at Ngongo will train more
Filipino surgeons to perform operations on oral clefts. Initially, the focus will be on the training
of surgeons affiliated with OMMC Department of Surgery. In the future, the training will be extended
to other surgeons outside OMMC, such as those in the other hospitals of the
City of Manila, other hospitals in Metro Manila as well as in the provinces. The long-term goal of training more Filipino
surgeons is self-sufficiency and self-reliance, that is, production of enough
Filipino surgeons to tackle the present load of oral cleft problem in the
country (1-2/1000 live births) without banking on foreign missions and foreign
surgeons.
Research
Simultaneous with the
performance of surgical service and training of more surgeons, Operasyon Bingot
at Ngongo will conduct action research projects to try to solve the oral cleft
problem in the community. Initially,
the focus of problem-solving will be in Manila. In the future, if logistics permit, the research will be extended
to other communities in the country.
What prompted the OMMC Department of Surgery to establish Operasyon Bingot at Ngongo as one of its projects under Operasyon Pinoy?
First, the prevalence of
oral clefts in the City of Manila is suspected to be high based on statistics
from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
The City of Manila ranked first among Metro Manila cities with 122
patients with oral cleft operated in PGH from 1996-2000. The prevalence could be higher if statistics
from the other hospitals in the City of Manila were included.
Second, the Department of
Surgery firmly believes that OMMC being the premier government hospital for the
City of Manila should take the lead in solving the prevalent oral cleft problem
of the Manilans.
Third, the Department of
Surgery of OMMC with its successful experiences with other projects under
Operasyon Pinoy feels it can tackle the oral cleft problem in the City of
Manila.
How is quality of service
monitored in the Operasyon Bingot at Ngongo?
The quality of service will
be monitored using the following standards:
What to do to avail of the surgical services of Operasyon Bingot at Ngongo?
What to expect upon
consultation at the OMMC Department of Surgery?
Who are the people
directly in charge of Operasyon Bingot at Ngongo?
Project Director: Dr. Reynaldo O. Joson
Assistant Project Directors:
Dr. Enrico Valera
Dr. Jose Joven Cruz
Project Coordinators: Dr. Nolim’t Raquel
Dr. Marlou Padua