Humanitarian and civic missions highlight US Navy partnership with Pangasinan

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 11): Humanitarian and civic missions highlight US Navy partnership with Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Aug 11 (PIA) – Humanitarian and civic missions highlight the three-day stay of the United States Navy servicemen in Pangasinan for  the Pacific Partnership 2015 with the provincial government.

The 70-member team is set to do a series of surgical missions, hospital engagements, disaster and risk reduction management, veterinary mission, public health and environmental sanitation visits that started Monday, August 10 until August 12.

Commander Greg Montalto, director for  Medical Operations of the US Navy, said the Pacific Partnership 2015   personnel will  work and train side-by-side with the Pangasinan community adding that  collaboration strengthens international partnership.

“The mission’s emphasis is the transfer of knowledge and also the friendships that we will undoubtedly make. This is far more long lasting than any other equipment,” Montalto told Pangasinan media during a press conference held at the Capitol compound.

Gov. Amado Espino, Jr. expressed his gratitude to the US Navy team for including Pangasinan in their partnership itinerary.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our medical team because they can teach us techniques  especially on disaster response and on the responses to various diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, leptospirosis and dengue that worsen during disasters,” Espino said.

Provincial Health Officer  Anna Theresa De Guzman said the province has arranged hospital engagements  for the team particularly at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH)  and Region I Medical Center  where emergency protocols will be observed.
“We have Philippine guidelines but it is also good to know the international standards so we can compare and know how far we are coping,” De Guzman said adding that the Philippines is bent on its campaign to become a  medical tourism destination.

Now on its tenth iteration, Pacific Partnership 2015 is said to be the largest annual multilateral humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Under the program, a hospital ship, USNS Mercy, and a support vessel, USNS Millinocket, are main components of the operation. The missions have provided medical care to approximately 270,000 patients and veterinary services to more than 38,000 animals.

PP15 personnel for the Philippine mission include eight Filipino personnel, with four of them tracing their roots from Pangasinan.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/411439202067/humanitarian-and-civic-missions-highlight-us-navy-partnership-with-pangasinan