US Navy Pacific Partnership team to hold humanitarian and civic activities in Pangasinan

Lingayen- - -The US Navy Pacific Partnership team has arrived in Pangasinan on August 9 for series of humanitarian and civic mission to be conducted in various areas of the province.

USNS Mercy being refuelled at sea by USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO 199)

The 70-member team will attend the Flag Raising ceremony at the Capitol Plaza on August 10 (Monday) to be followed by a press conference at the Urduja House and a coordination briefing with rural sanitary inspectors, health program managers and coordinators.

Also on the same day, a Veterinary Medical Mission will be held in some 10 barangays of Lingayen town and along with an expert exchange coordination meeting for humanitarian and disaster relief.

Fellowship Night to be led by Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. with Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim, Jr. and the members of the board, various department heads and chiefs of hospitals has been arranged for the US Naval team.

Continuation of the hospital engagement activity will be held in the morning of August 11 followed by Public Health Diseases Symposium in the afternoon. This will focus on various diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy, leptospirosis and dengue.

Simultaneous activities have been set for Environmental Sanitation engagement site inspection among identified business establishments, Veterinary Medical Mission in 10 barangays of San Carlos City, Mobile Blood Donation activity, TB Suyod in Bayambang town and the continuation of previous hospital engagement.

Pre-surgical screening forum will also be held in preparation for the scheduled “Operation Smile” which is intended for patients with cleft palate.

Activities for August 12, on the other hand, are as follows: Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Demonstration and Rapid Rabies Detection Test, Demonstration of Chemical Castration in Dogs with zeuterin.

Under the US Navy Pacific Partnership program, a hospital ship, USNS Mercy, and a support vessel, USNS Millinocket, are main components of the operation, Lt. Cmndr. Timothy Pietrack, the mission’s public affairs officer, said.

Pacific Partnership 2015 is said to be the largest annual multilateral humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

The team has initially conducted a two-day Basic Life Support Training at Subic Bay, Olongapo City on August 5 and 6 where Pangasinan Provincial Health Office (PHO) medical team and hospital EMTs participated. (Ruby R. Bernardino)