Association seeks medical volunteers

Group urges Filipino professionals to help compatriots seeking shelter at the Philippine labour office

If you have the time and willingness to serve, then volunteer to care for your people. Filipino health care professionals in Dubai made this call earlier this month so other medical professionals could help their distressed compatriots seeking shelter at the Philippine labour office in Al Ghusais.

Dr Alfonso Torres from the Philippine Healthcare Professionals Association in Dubai said they hold free medical missions for two hours at the labour office every second Friday of the month. He said his small team is able to help only about 70 to 80 per cent of the 30 to 40 “wards” or distressed Filipinos at the shelter.

“We are calling on Filipino doctors and health care professionals to rise to the occasion and help. We want people who are more concerned about what they can give to the community instead of what they can get from being part of the association,” Dr Torres said.

Dr Torres said the condition of the wards is mostly stress-related due to the problems they faced while being employed here. Most of them worked as maids and later on sought shelter at the labour office after allegedly being maltreated or abused.

How it works

In case of medical emergencies and if the wards need hospitalisation, the labour office takes care of that need. Since the wards do not have health insurance, giving them regular check-ups through missions will help a lot, the group said.

“Many of them are hypertensive and need to control their blood pressure with medication. But most of them also need someone who would listen to them, who could counsel them. So we also need psychologists and psychiatrists,” said Michael Siladan, association president.

The association is also in need of medicines so those who wish to donate are encouraged to do so. For more information, visit the association’s Facebook page.