Fri, 05/04/2018

NIKKI CARES brings together government doctors and nurses from 12 public hospitals to provide free services for indigent patients.

NIKKI CARES volunteers with Kabankalan Mayor Isidro Zayco, Board Member Pedro Zayco, Nikki Benitez, Dr. Claudelia Josefa Pabillo, Mary Ann Dino

A total of 168 patients from the 5th and 6th districts of Negros Occidental were beneficiaries of the NIKKI CARES Surgical Mission held at the Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City last April 26 and 27, 2018.

Dominique “Nikki” Lopez Benitez, wife of Third District Representative Alfredo Benitez spearheads the Surgical Mission providing free major and minor surgeries to indigents, a project she has been involved in for the last 20 years covering various provinces in the country.

Kabankalan District Hospital chief Dr. Claudelia Josefa Pabillo, BBBFI executive director Mary Ann Dino, Mary Ann Mirasol, wife of Cong. Alejandro Mirasol, Fr. Jude of Kabankalan Diocese, and Nikki Benitez, wife of Cong. Alfredo Benitez

The two-day medical mission in Kabankalan brought together 57 doctors and nurses to conduct the free surgery from the Calatrava Municipal Hospital, Vicente Gustilo Memorial District Hospital, Cadiz District Hospital, Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (Silay City), Valladolid District Hospital, Salvador Benedicto Memorial Hospital, Ignacio L. Arroyo Sr. Memorial Hospital (Isabela), Gov. Valeriano M. Gatuslao Memorial Disrict Hospital (Himamaylan), Merceditas Montilla District Hospital (Sipalay), Eleuterio T. Decena Municipal Hospital (Hinobaan), Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (Bacolod City, and the host, Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital.

Cong. Mercedez Alvarez Lansang, Mary Ann Dino, Dr. Leonardo Eusebio, Operations head of the Provincial Government, and Nikki Benitez

The 55 major operations covered 19 gynecology cases and 36 general surgery covering hernia, gallstone, OB, hemorrhoids, breast mass cases while 113 were minor operations including mostly mass and cyst cases. Beneficiaries were from Himamaylan, La Castellana, Hinigaran, Isabela, Binalbagan, Hinobaan, Cauayan, Candoni, Sipalay, Ilog and Kabankalan.

In November last year (2017), Mrs. Benitez brought a team of doctors and nurses from the Makati Medical Center to conduct free surgery in the Third District of Negros Occidental. A total of 301 patients were covered in the three-day major and minor operations conducted by 81 health personnel at the Teresita Jalandoni Memorial Provincial Hospital in Silay City.

For the 2nd run of Nikki Cares Surgical Mission in Kabankalan, Mrs. Benitez acknowledges the support and assistance of the Negros Occidental Provincial Government through Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr., Congressman Alfredo Benitez and the District Office, Abang Lingkod Partylist Representative Stephen Paduano, the Kabankalan City Government through Mayor Isidro Zayco, Sixth District Congresswoman Mercedes Alvarez Lansang, Fifth District Congressman Alejandro Mirasol, and the Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital through Dr. Claudelia Josefa Pabillo.

Mrs. Benitez thanked the volunteer doctors and nurses from all the district hospitals, for their services.

Nikki Cares is assisted by the Betty Bantug Benitez Foundation with Executive Director Mary Ann Dino and staff.*