AmeriCares finishes 5-week mission on Saipan

Volunteers from the AmeriCares who came to Saipan to help with Typhoon Soudelor response will be leaving the island soon after completing their five-week mission.

Last Friday, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. hosted a dinner party for the group at the Carolinian Utt in Garapan. On Saturday, Best Sunshine Live hosted the team for some dinner and drinks.

AmeriCares members and CORE representatives are given appreciation dinners by Best Sunshine Live and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. during the weekend as they wrapped up their five-week mission on Saipan. (Frauleine S. Villanueva)

CHCC presented AmeriCares with plaques of appreciation and pins. A total of 11 volunteers consisting of doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses came to Saipan to help.

CHCC chief executive officer Esther Muña said they wanted to show their appreciation to the AmeriCares team.

“They never said no and it’s just amazing. They never said no to anything that we asked them to do when we needed help,” Muña said.

Best Sunshine International, Ltd. also acknowledged the work that the team has done on Saipan.

“I want to thank you as a resident of Saipan. Thank you for your hard work and dedication,” chief services officer Tao Xing said.

It was Muña who invited the AmeriCares team to Saipan, at the suggestion of the American Red Cross.

“We saw a need in the hospital based on the fact that there’s an increase in census. We had a full ER, full hospital wards and in addition to that we had the special needs patients, the ones who were staying because of the fact that they needed electricity,” Muña said.

“When we contacted AmeriCares, I was just touched. We were asking for help and they were just very quick to respond. Our hearts was just touched by the fact that they were willing to come, you know, just jump in the airplane and come here,” she added.

The AmeriCares team was able to provide nearly a thousand hours of volunteer service, from working 40 hours a week in the hospital and working on weekends to help the mobile outreach clinic of the hospital along with the Community Outreach Recovery Efforts.

They also did home visits for those who weren’t able to access hospital services or the clinics on the weekends.

“They are a very big help because they helped us in the hospital. …They helped us also with doing the medical outreach,” Muña said.

“We are so grateful to all of you,” AmeriCares emergency response manager Kate Dischino said. “It’s been a pleasure to join you and work with you alongside of the recovery efforts and we are so grateful to be here.”