Cebu, Philippines
Dr. Kolstad’s second medical mission brought him to the beautiful city of Cebu. Every mission trip begins with a screening day on Sunday, where hundreds of children and their families patiently wait to be evaluated by the surgeons, pediatric anesthesiologists, and hospital staff. Families arrive early in the morning, and the day often lasts 8 to 10 hours — a long and emotional day for both the families and the medical team.
A local Rotary Club made up of expatriates helped keep the children smiling throughout the day with balloon animals, toys, and puppet shows. By the end of screening day, more than one hundred surgeries had been scheduled to begin on Monday and continue through Friday.
City-wide brownouts were a daily occurrence. In the middle of surgery, the electricity would suddenly shut off. Operating room lights went dark and anesthesia machines stopped functioning. Fortunately, the outages were usually brief, allowing surgeries to continue safely without complications. In Cebu, learning to do more with less is simply a way of life.
The Philippines was the most impoverished country Dr. Kolstad had visited. Nurses often earned less than $100 per month, and some volunteered their time without pay in hopes of gaining experience and future opportunities. Despite the economic hardship, Dr. Kolstad was deeply moved by the warmth, optimism, and generosity of spirit he encountered among the Filipino people.
