La Union doc aims for circumcision record

SAN FERNANDO, La Union – A doctor here aims to be the world’s fastest circumciser of the most number of patients in an hour.

Dr. Jessie Miranda, a law graduate who was once president of the La Union Gay Society, is confident of setting the record after taking only five seconds to circumcise an eight-year-old boy from Barangay San Agustin here and 66 patients in one hour.

“I think this is the first time that a doctor like me is aiming for the record and I know I was the first because I conducted research if there is such a record, but there’s none,” Miranda told The STAR during a break from foreskin cutting duties.

Miranda said he thought of the activity to establish a record for himself and for San Fernando because he will be submitting his documents to the Guinness Book of Records.

“We are thinking then of an event that will establish a record for San Fernando, so this is what we thought of,” he said.

Miranda’s longest circumcision did not exceed a minute.

Starting at 8:15 a.m. Miranda circumcised boys from different barangays of San Fernando City, who lined up at the City Health Office yesterday.

Miranda took a break at 9:15 a.m. to check how many of his more than 700 patients have already been circumcised.

Using a laser machine, Miranda occupied a 4x10-meter air-conditioned room at the health office.

He was positioned between two beds, a patient in each of them, and was assisted by six health workers – three for each bed – to apply betadine and place surgical plaster on the penis of each patient.

The circumcision starts with each patient being injected with anesthesia in a separate room after which they line up for Miranda’s room.

Inside the room, a patient lies down on the bed and the health workers prepare him before Miranda places the tip of his laser to the skin of the penis.

The laser will cut and burn the skin, bloodless and painless, and the operation needs no stitches.

San Fernando City Mayor Pablo Ortega helped Miranda organize the medical event, which coincided with Ortega’s “Operation Tuli” project spearheaded by the CHO under Dr. Eduardo Posadas and several non-government organizations.

Aside from the record, Miranda said he also wants to share his knowledge with his townmates, particularly those who cannot afford the medical expenses of circumcision in hospitals.

“I know that some cannot afford the P3,000 to P5,000 expenses so I offered this activity,” he said.

“I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years now and this is only the first time that it was properly documented,” he said.

Ortega thanked Miranda, a former city councilor who is now the supervisor of the Auxiliary Wet Market here, for conducting the activity free.

“I hope for his success and I’m glad that this activity was conceived because this is for hygiene purposes especially for the young boys,” Ortega said.

Ortega said Miranda initially scheduled the activity as a gift for his birthday celebration on April 3, but it was moved yesterday due to his load of activities.

The final number of circumcised patients was not yet available as of press time.