Baby named Israel for medical team

CEBU, Philippines - Less than two days after they set up their instant hospital under a tent, the 150-man team from Israel that arrived last Thursday has already attended to more than 300 patients in Bogo City and nearby towns in the northern area of Cebu that was badly hit by super typhoon Yolanda.

One of  their more memorable stories was the delivery of a baby boy named Israel by his mother in honor of their country.

Dr. Hadar Marom, one of the doctors of the Israeli-government sent team, said they practically set up a complete field hospital since they have all the equipment plus all the doctors and medical team that can attend to the concerns of the patients.

Since last Thursday, Marom said they have encountered a lot of different cases, mostly chronicle problems, which she explained as ailments that have been present prior the typhoon, like cancer.  “We cannot help all of them but we try to do our best. We give them the right medication and advise,” said Marom.

Other ailments like cough and colds and body pains which may have been caused by the recent weather disturbance were also common, Marom added.

Call me Israel

The medical team also delivered their first baby last Thursday.

Emylou Antigua, 40 years old, the treasurer of Barangay San Vicente, Bogo City, said that she was busy helping out relief operations in her barangay since the storm and did not really think she would go into labor since she was still a month away from the due date.

“Tungod sa stress siguro,” Antigua said, adding that in the middle of  the operations, she opted to go home since she started to feel the contractions.

Antigua said she went home and told her husband who then decided to bring her to a hospital in Cebu City since they knew their hospital in Bogo City still did not have electricity. However, she said they decided to pass by the hospital since they still needed a referral from the city doctor.

Antigua said the Israeli team accommodated her and assured them that her baby would be delivered well despite the pre-term condition.

The baby boy, the se-cond child for the couple, was born yesterday and was named “Israel.”

Antigua said she could not thank the Israeli team enough, the reason that they decided to name him after the doctors’ country.

Baby boy Israel has also been in good condition and has not needed an incubator which usually is the case for pre-term babies, said Antigua.

Unassisted birth

Another mother, Maria Lilibeth Jumaos, traveled from Medellin town to Bogo City yesterday to see the Israeli medical team.

Jumaos was weak from giving birth just yesterday. She shared that she was alone at home when she felt the contractions. But with no one around to help her, she said she delivered the baby on her own.

It was only an hour after when her live-in partner arrived home and brought the baby to nearby health clinic to have the umbilical cord cut. While the baby and Jumaoas were both okay, they were still advised to head to the Bogo City Hospital to have a checkup.

The Israeli team accommodated the couple and their newborn baby, who was still unnamed.

All other medical operations were made by the team yesterday under their tent which was powered by generator sets they brought with them.

Marom said their generator sets are only for their clinic and not for their personal accommodations which she said are also inconvenient.

“The conditions are not good but we try to do our best,” Marom said.

The Israeli team has been sent to various places before, said Marom, like in Haiti in 2010 to respond to victims of the magnitude 7 earthquake that led to thousands of deaths. 

“We try to come to places that need us,” said Marom, adding that they like serving and they are proud to be in Cebu now. 

“Dako gyud kaayo ni sila matabang nato,” said Governor  Hilario Davide III yesterday after he visited the ongoing operations of the Israeli team. He said the team is scheduled to be in Cebu for more than three weeks to focus on medical operations in the towns hit by Yolanda.

Davide and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale were in the northern towns yesterday to turn over checks totaling to P23 million to towns badly hit by the super typhoon.

Davide was scheduled to go to the islets in the northern towns yesterday which they have not accessed yet due to the problems in transportation. Davide said the mayors of the local government units where the islets are part of have also not updated him about any developments.  (FREEMAN)