Feed The Children....#1 And Medical Care For The Poor

[Mr Lee]

I am amazed that no one had any comments, I know that I sent him quite a few emails disagreeing with many of the things he was doing, but who am I. :lol: Part II which will be another lengthy post will follow soon but I really think members should look at some of the pictures and read the lengthy account and then comment on some of the things you think Bruce may be doing right and some you think he may be doing wrong, so we all can learn.

[Guardian]

Link to photos from member Bruce's medical mission and travels around Samar etc

I see a number of issues here although I have never been to the Philippines and I do not know how to do multiple quotes. 1) the flooding must have caused a lot of people to become very ill, so the medical help he has offered should be applauded. While I do not know Bruce's level of expertise, if he is not a doctor and he is seeing people and just randomly giving out antibiotics, that screams to me of being illegal and I have to wonder if he will not end up getting himself arrested if one of those people should die, even if from other causes. Cremes being given may be one thing, pills may be a whole different thing and while I am sure there is no malpractice there, a mad relative who refuses to believe that his family member died from other causes after Bruce treated them could be much worse from what I have been told and read about retribution there.2) Buying school supplies seems to me to be a safe way to help3) Training staff also great. I wonder if he has teaching credentials?4) From what I have read, I believe that many of those people who he supplies medicines for might find was to get it on their own but why bother if he will give it to them for free.5) Many of the children do not look to be sickly and my 4 applies to that also.6) The broken wrist was another thing that seemed to be a waste of his money. Free clinic, Xray but no repair, so how much money did he give and how much was spent on other things?7) What Bruce appears to be trying to do must make him feel good and if that is what he is trying to accomplish then keep doing it but in my mind he may be putting himself in great danger 1) with being known to carry large amounts of cash and 2) by giving medicines to sick people who could easily die from other causes.Bruce keep up the good work and you should be applauded but please be careful or you could find yourself kidnapped, murdered or end up in jail for practicing medicine without a Philippine license, that is if you do not have a medical license there already.

[Mr Lee]

Link to photos from member Bruce's medical mission and travels around Samar etc

I see a number of issues here although I have never been to the Philippines and I do not know how to do multiple quotes. 1) the flooding must have caused a lot of people to become very ill, so the medical help he has offered should be applauded. While I do not know Bruce's level of expertise, if he is not a doctor and he is seeing people and just randomly giving out antibiotics, that screams to me of being illegal and I have to wonder if he will not end up getting himself arrested if one of those people should die, even if from other causes. Cremes being given may be one thing, pills may be a whole different thing and while I am sure there is no malpractice there, a mad relative who refuses to believe that his family member died from other causes after Bruce treated them could be much worse from what I have been told and read about retribution there.2) Buying school supplies seems to me to be a safe way to help3) Training staff also great. I wonder if he has teaching credentials? 4) From what I have read, I believe that many of those people who he supplies medicines for might find was to get it on their own but why bother if he will give it to them for free.5) Many of the children do not look to be sickly and my 4 applies to that also.6) The broken wrist was another thing that seemed to be a waste of his money. Free clinic, Xray but no repair, so how much money did he give and how much was spent on other things?7) What Bruce appears to be trying to do must make him feel good and if that is what he is trying to accomplish then keep doing it but in my mind he may be putting himself in great danger 1) with being known to carry large amounts of cash and 2) by giving medicines to sick people who could easily die from other causes.Bruce keep up the good work and you should be applauded but please be careful or you could find yourself kidnapped, murdered or end up in jail for practicing medicine without a Philippine license, that is if you do not have a medical license there already.

Guardian, while some of the things you have addressed could be a problem, none of us really know and at least Bruce is trying to do things and doing them with his own money. Everyday is a learning experience for all of us and I am sure that Bruce learns with each trip over but the main thing is it is his life to do what he wishes to do, and to take whatever chances that he feels that he is able to deal with, and I do not think it is for us to judge him unless we are also out there doing things and doing them in ways that are better than what he has been doing. Of course that is all just in my personal opinion and I appreciate your comments and anyone else who also wishes to comment. Edited December 18, 2009 by Mr. Lee

[Mr Lee]

The next section of Bruce's emails about his adventures.Sent: Thu, Nov 19, 2009 2:30 pmSubject: Sick baby? See the local abortionist......Ah...local customs...wonderful, just wonderful. Abortion is illegal in the Philippines. So to get around that little detail, there are local women called 'helios'. Uneducated, untrained. They understand that the uterus has a top a bottom and an opening in the bottom where, sooner or later the baby leaves the uterus and enters the top of the vagina. Sooooooo, these 'helios' locate the pregnant uterus with their hands and then using ALL THEIR WEIGHT start a series of massage / pushing movements trying to 'pop' the uterus. Of course the uterus won't 'pop' because the opening in the bottom will start to expand to relieve the pressue on it of the fetus being pushed into it. Push long enough, hard enough and sooner or later the woman will start to bleed and miscarry. One a miscarriage is in progress, then the woman can go to a doctor who will then be able to legally treat her for a miscarriage (abortion). What does this have to do with a sick baby? Well..... it seems that the poor people take their sick babies / children to these same 'helios' women and the 'helios' will massage the baby / child back to good health.... or if the baby / child is not well in 2 days, THEN is it permitted for the parent(s) to seek out a REAL doctor.... As for today, I went to the local store and bought pillows, lite blankets and 2 dresses (mumu ?) for the patients in the hospital. As I delivered them I was accosted by a lot of parents with written prescriptions and no money to fill them for their sick kids. So I made a short trip to the pharmacy down the street and came back with a bag full of basic antibiotics. Now, also in order with local customs, most all doctors also own their own pharmacies within walking distance of the hospital and the patients are EXPECTED to purchase their medications from the pharmacy owned by the treating doctor, or the doctor has the right to stop treating you. Lucky for the patients that these rules don't apply to us damn foreigners and I can buy what I want where I want and give it to anyone I want. While I was in the hospital, I stopped to take another picture of a cat walking the halls. A local person asked why I took a picture of a cat. I explained that cats have their own hospitals in America and that It was unusual to see a cat in an American hospital for people. I refrained from any cat scan jokes as I am sure he would not have understood. It is raining now and when the rain stops I shall be walking to another area on the other side of the river to see people there. Sent: Fri, Nov 20, 2009 6:39 pmSubject: JailI spent the afternoon in jail........ seeing patients, that is. Interesting place, an open compound maybe 150' x 150' with a few small open huts. Men and women housed on the same compound. Families stay there too! Sleeping in the visitor area, which is an open area 20 x ' covered by thatch roof. Saw 2 of the homeless kids there. Evidently, mom or dad is in jail and the kids beg money every day and sleep at the jail. Gave out a few hundred doses of antibiotics and actually treated quite a few babies and kids along side the adult inmates. The guards and inmates all dressed the same. Shorts, t shirt and sandals. No real rules as I could have been giving out heroin and the guards would not have known. Interesting place to visit, but I would not like to have live there. Sent: Sat, Nov 21, 2009 3:08 pmSubject: Hospital callGot picked up last night to go to the hospital to look at a family member of a clinic worker. Repeated admissions for ulcers. They of course have no money, so they get a free doc visit in the ER, but no meds unless they pay for them which is most likely why there have been repeated hospital admissions. They are from an outer island with no medical care, so the family including 2 toddlers loads up in a boat for the trip here. In this case, the ER doc is also a nurse and is waiting for a work visa to go to California to work as a nurse and make some real money and some real experience with modern medicine. He and I had a talk and he is on the correct path for ulcer treatments and I will pay for the medicine (less than $20) for a 30 day course which will hopefully be the last of her ulcer. This morning there were 16 homeless kids waiting for me at the local Jollibees because they know I will get them something to eat. I had a talk with the 12 yr old girl about school and she says that she can't go because her father makes her beg for money to support the family. Another lost cause. I had this same conversation with the older boy already and he is firmly happy with street living and has no intentions of schooling, paid for or not. Sent: Sat, Nov 21, 2009 7:09 pmSubject: Catholic church, slave labor, hospital follow upI was told that there was an actual children's home for the homeless kids. So I paid them a visit. 1st warning sign was the pope's face everywhere.... It turns out that there are no actual children there. The good catholic church ships them off 75 miles away to a catholic home there. That is the little kids. The teenage kids are forced to live and work at the old folks home. A bed and some rice and schooling in return for free labor in taking care of the old homeless people. NO MEDICATIONS for the old. Just a warehouse for them to wait to die. I gave out some meds and money for food. In the afternoon I walked around the dock area looking for some fresh live crabs to buy for dinner. I was too late today as they were sold out already. But I did get a surprise at the end stall. There was about 20+ homeless kids, from 4yrs old and up, plus my regular lunch crowd. All were on the filthy ground, peeling shrimp! They are paid 10 pesos for every kilo (2.2) pounds of shrimp they peel. I learned to WASH all my shrimp in the future in straight bleach! Absolutely filthy kids, filthy shrimp right on the rain soaked ground.... Also saw 20+ other kids jumping in the water and yelling HEY JOE what is your name to me. Upon closer inspection, I noticed many with open sores on their arms and legs. I told them I would return tomorrow with medication. I then threw my pocket change out into the water and that started a feeding frenzy that sharks would be proud of. I then walked over to the hospital and went to see the family member of the clinic worker. She and her husband were still there. I asked about the test results. What test results they said? The test the doc ordered last night when you were admitted, the test the doc told me was to be done this morning.....They knew nothing about it. So I went to the nurses station to talk to all the smiley fresh faces in white uniforms. They too, knew nothing about any test... On a whim, I asked to look in the chart..... a flurry of activity followed with 6 faces trying to read the chart before I see it. What do you know! The doc did write for an H. pilori test! I then asked about getting it done, now that we all KNEW the patient was supposed to have it. Well, the nurse in charge said that they did not do that kind of test and that an outside lab would have to do it. We sorta stared at each other until she realized that I was not going away. So she had a nurse write up a request for the outside lab. The husband of the patient was given the paper and instructions to walk down the road and see the lab and they would send someone to see the patient for the test. When I finished dealing with the women in white, I turned around and there were 6 mothers who all had written scripts for meds, but no money to pay for the scripts. You see the government will pay for you to see the ER doc, but not any tests or medications. No wonder so many people die in this place. The old woman I had bought the dresses and pillow for died last night. New indigent patient in her bed and I guarantee that the bed was not washed down. So I and the six mothers walked 1/4 mile down the road to the pharmacy and I got their prescriptions filled for their kids. The two women working in the pharmacy think I am Bill Gates brother or something like that and asked if I was married. When I said yes, they did not miss a beat. They asked if I knew anyone like me that was looking for a girl friend.. I really had not thought about it so I just gave them Clyde and Carl's email addresses. That seemed to please them (sorry guys, but they caught me off guard) Sent: Sun, Nov 22, 2009 2:29 pmSubject: most alive, 1 deadWent back to the hospital last night about another patient. Multiple issues and the doc wrote for 2 antibiotics but NOTHING for her fever or pain. The family had enough money for the IV antibiotic but the not the tablets. I supplied the oral antibiotic and ibuprofen for pain and fever. I returned this morning and she was still unable to get out of bed but was feeling better and no fever. She also has a large facial tumor / mass on the right temple area of her head, but she was not complaining about that! While I was at the hospital, a nurse walked up to me and said they had no alcohol! (No Clyde, not the drinking kind) But did that little detail stop them from starting an IV or drawing blood? Of course not! So I stopped by the pharmacy down the road and bought 6 bottles for them.You guys will not believe the pictures I have. Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes would be proud! But no one cares here. It is simply business as usual. Oh yes..... there was a body on a gurney in the hall. It was one of the old people I saw at the catholic run old folks home. " They walk in, but don't walk out' should be their slogan. Sent: Sun, Nov 22, 2009 5:58 pmSubject: Follow up dayIt is Sunday afternoon here and I am leaving Tuesday morning for the 'big city'. I went back to the jail again and the guy with the swollen belly and the enlarged spleen is doing better. So are the kids with the open skin infections. I gave out candy and some ibuprofen / antibiotics to those I had not seen a few days ago. Went up the hill to the people who live in bamboo shacks and checked on the boy with the broken wrist. He is better. Never did see a real doc. Just took the ibuprofen I gave him and laid around the shack. He can now move his fingers and wrist a bit but there is still pain from the break. And his mother proudly showed me the xray that the free standing lab gave her for $7 (my money) The report, written in English confirmed the break. When I was going to the jail, I saw one of the homeless kids. A 4 yr old girl (I got the pictures to prove it) whose father is in jail so she lives at jail at night and beg money during the day. She, at 4 yrs old, walks 1/2 mile thru city streets to her 'job' which is outside my hotel. There is a hierarchy in begging and a kid can't just show up and beg anywhere they want. That spot may have been taken by another kid already.I have seen her every day for 2 weeks now. I bought her clean clothes this morning. Never seen her with an adult. I would not have known that she lived at the jail unless I had been there and saw her. She does not speak English because English is taught in school and at 4, she has never been to school. But she manages to make it clear to me that she knows I have money and she wants it. Naked kids...... As you all know, kids are not one my favorite things in life. I have taken a couple of hundred pictures here and I have done my best not to catch any naked kids in them. But naked kids are everywhere. Kids running down the street playing and having fun right next to kids who have clothes.... And the local people don't seem to care. Now, to give you an idea about clothes here, I bought 3 pairs of pants and 1 dress this morning for the street kids. Cost me $3. So the costs of putting clothes on your kids is not, in my mind, a cost prohibitive problem! When I finish up now, I am heading back down to the river to see the out island people who come in on the boats to get supplies. Sent: Tue, Nov 24, 2009 1:40 pmSubject: $10 for a lifeRaining here now and I am scheduled to take a van to the small city for a flight at 5 tonight back to the big city. Went to the hospital 1 last time. Seems to be a daily thing here that the doc makes the morning rounds and writes a script for that day only. Then the women / mothers or other family members in the indigent side of the hospital fan out over the town begging for money for medicine. Most meds cost less than $10 and a few as high as $20. The hospital / doctor WILL let a patient die if they don't have money for medicine. So I again collected the women / mothers and we all walked down the road to the pharmacy and I bought some medications for them. I have spent more on lunch than it takes to save a life with medications here. Most people who have no money wait until they are actually in bad shape before coming to the hospital, so it is a life / death situation for many. I saw the woman with the facial mass and other issues. She is responding to the medications and her face is less swollen. The mass has shrunk down below the temple area into a funnel shape. Now it appears that it may be an upper salivary gland issue, with the swelling going up instead of down her face.. Had 31 kids for food last night at the fast food place and a small going away dinner for me at the local restaurant which I took the two older kids with me. On the walk home I met with the father of the girl Venus who just showed up. She was not happy to see him as there seems to be some abusive money issues going on if she does not beg enough money for the day.She gave him some of the left over food from dinner which made him happy. This morning another 30+ kids showed up for some breakfast and it takes about 20 minutes for the fast food place to process the entire order in which time I eat as the 2 older kids manage the crowd of younger kids. I have the pictures and all are lined up outside the window looking in. Then the next time I looked there was an old hag of a woman in line! Hungry is hungry..... I have not had any security issues here so far but I have been seen enough times paying for things that it is a safe bet that I am carrying around 'some money'. Many of the local pedicab men are former homeless boys are aware that I have been feeding the current crowd of homeless kids. So the pedicab drivers are making it known that they follow me as I walk to make sure I am ok. There always seems to be someone who knows my name as I am walking and asks about me. I walk 5 + miles a day which is very unusual here. Most no one walks but the very poor or homeless because a ride anywhere in town costs about 5 cents.

[Guardian]

Guardian, while some of the things you have addressed could be a problem, none of us really know and at least Bruce is trying to do things and doing them with his own money. Everyday is a learning experience for all of us and I am sure that Bruce learns with each trip over but the main thing is it is his life to do what he wishes to do, and to take whatever chances that he feels that he is able to deal with, and I do not think it is for us to judge him unless we are also out there doing things and doing them in ways that are better than what he has been doing. Of course that is all just in my personal opinion and I appreciate your comments and anyone else who also wishes to comment.

Got ya, I was not trying to be negative and was trying to prevent another American from ending up in a hell hole jail in another country. I wish him the best in his adventures and much of what he is doing appears to be helping those who cannot help themselves. Many of the photos show happy faces and I find that interesting that they are happy even with all that adversity.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Guardian, while some of the things you have addressed could be a problem, none of us really know and at least Bruce is trying to do things and doing them with his own money. Everyday is a learning experience for all of us and I am sure that Bruce learns with each trip over but the main thing is it is his life to do what he wishes to do, and to take whatever chances that he feels that he is able to deal with, and I do not think it is for us to judge him unless we are also out there doing things and doing them in ways that are better than what he has been doing. Of course that is all just in my personal opinion and I appreciate your comments and anyone else who also wishes to comment.

Got ya, I was not trying to be negative and was trying to prevent another American from ending up in a hell hole jail in another country. I wish him the best in his adventures and much of what he is doing appears to be helping those who cannot help themselves. Many of the photos show happy faces and I find that interesting that they are happy even with all that adversity.

My turn to sound negativeBruce is doing a fine job helping those in need,handing out antibiotics like lollies and feeding the street kids with Jollibees.Problem is Bruce goes home and everything returns to normal.If Bruce continues to visit the same area on his next trip I suspect that the demand for his money will be even higher and could end up being mobbed by a crowd that he wont have the funds to help.He feels his safety is being watched by pedicab drivers but maybe not all have the same reason to do so,the angry father of the street kid is an example of what could go wrong as well.I think his qualifications are of a nurse,not a doctor,hope he does not prescribe the wrong thing for someone,that might be the end of him.Yes I know he is doing something,I think a more permanent fix would be better than once or twice a year trip but how to do that is the problem.

[johnb]

This Subject is always going to kick up a bit of dust, I worked for many, many years in development working in some of the poorest countries of the world and watched differing aid agencies from USA peace corps, Australia's Ausaid and British VSO's to name but a few drift in and out of aid programmes, as there masters decieded on which area of support they should focus on this year, during my time it was technical support, it then leaned toward HIV, later to education, and later enpowering women, few were followed through to any completion. I have my own ideas on how I would manage aid, be it funding or training but that is for another time.In the case of this thread and perhaps other smaller more personel aid projects, perhaps judgements should not be made on what long term good may or may not be achieved, but rather what good is being done today or even what harm is it causing........Its a kind and unselfish act by Bruce, and may not help for ever but does help today and may attract doners that could allow longer term goals to be achievedJohn

[Mr Lee]

My turn to sound negativeBruce is doing a fine job helping those in need,handing out antibiotics like lollies and feeding the street kids with Jollibees.Problem is Bruce goes home and everything returns to normal.If Bruce continues to visit the same area on his next trip I suspect that the demand for his money will be even higher and could end up being mobbed by a crowd that he wont have the funds to help.He feels his safety is being watched by pedicab drivers but maybe not all have the same reason to do so,the angry father of the street kid is an example of what could go wrong as well.I think his qualifications are of a nurse,not a doctor,hope he does not prescribe the wrong thing for someone,that might be the end of him.Yes I know he is doing something,I think a more permanent fix would be better than once or twice a year trip but how to do that is the problem.

Bruce has set up a well known family there with supplies and who does the feeding project for him, so his work continues when he returns and so far he has been back a bunch of times and it seems that with that family overseeing what is going on, the projects are getting done. Bruce is now back again in Samar for the second time this year and is helping out again and not just with feeding and medical issues but he has now expanded to being a mechanic and has fixed a water pump (photo below). Seems that the key to getting this done correctly is to have a local trusted family watch over it all while we are gone because it seems to be working good for Bruce. Bruce emailed me and said he was even amazed that the money he left for the school roof and other items to be fixed actually got spent on the items and the work was completed, so while a lot of us wish we could help, it seem Bruce has found himself a way to actually do some good, so from me, three cheers for Bruce and I hope he keeps up the good work because he is making a difference in the local peoples lives.Some more examples of what Bruce has done, is a blind girl who he raised some money to have an eye operation and put in the rest himself and arranged for a local eye doctor to try to fix her eyes, and then on top of that he gave the money so she could have glasses.Then there is a wash lady whose feet were falling apart because of standing in water all day, Bruce bought her some boots as seen in one photo with her family and him.So guys and girls, we can make a difference and I am proud to have Bruce as a friend and I wish he would post more on here more himself but he is very busy with his business, work and his charity projects.

[ekimswish]

I'm going to be in Leyte pretty soon, but have traveled to Samar to try surfing, and the poverty I saw there along the road was as bad as I've seen it in the Philippines. I'm sure there's always some place worse, but it was pretty basic. Traveling along the road in Leyte you see a lot of big houses, and even the nippa huts are in good spots with lots of space. In Samar, I saw almost no big houses, and lots and lots of nippa huts crammed together in poor conditions. I would love to help if our own business takes off. Maybe I can come visit Bruce and learn a few things to implement in our hometown, or contribute to what he's already doing in Samar.

[Jollygoodfellow]

My turn to sound negativeBruce is doing a fine job helping those in need,handing out antibiotics like lollies and feeding the street kids with Jollibees.Problem is Bruce goes home and everything returns to normal.If Bruce continues to visit the same area on his next trip I suspect that the demand for his money will be even higher and could end up being mobbed by a crowd that he wont have the funds to help.He feels his safety is being watched by pedicab drivers but maybe not all have the same reason to do so,the angry father of the street kid is an example of what could go wrong as well.I think his qualifications are of a nurse,not a doctor,hope he does not prescribe the wrong thing for someone,that might be the end of him.Yes I know he is doing something,I think a more permanent fix would be better than once or twice a year trip but how to do that is the problem.

Bruce has set up a well known family there with supplies and who does the feeding project for him, so his work continues when he returns and so far he has been back a bunch of times and it seems that with that family overseeing what is going on, the projects are getting done. Bruce is now back again in Samar for the second time this year and is helping out again and not just with feeding and medical issues but he has now expanded to being a mechanic and has fixed a water pump (photo below). Seems that the key to getting this done correctly is to have a local trusted family watch over it all while we are gone because it seems to be working good for Bruce. Bruce emailed me and said he was even amazed that the money he left for the school roof and other items to be fixed actually got spent on the items and the work was completed, so while a lot of us wish we could help, it seem Bruce has found himself a way to actually do some good, so from me, three cheers for Bruce and I hope he keeps up the good work because he is making a difference in the local peoples lives.Some more examples of what Bruce has done, is a blind girl who he raised some money to have an eye operation and put in the rest himself and arranged for a local eye doctor to try to fix her eyes, and then on top of that he gave the money so she could have glasses.Then there is a wash lady whose feet were falling apart because of standing in water all day, Bruce bought her some boots as seen in one photo with her family and him.So guys and girls, we can make a difference and I am proud to have Bruce as a friend and I wish he would post more on here more himself but he is very busy with his business, work and his charity projects.

Great job BruceNow if we can send you some casual clothes to wear I'm sure you will be more comfortable,lol