general santos city

In May 2024, FISSH conducted a week long surgical outreach in General Santos city, South Cotabato, Philippines. In the months leading up to this outreach, our local FISSH team in GenSan was hard at work assessing potential surgical patients— and even began to operate on minor cases at our partner hospital, RO Diagan Cooperative Hospital.

A majority of the surgical cases were thyroidectomies. In addition, lymphadenectomies, parotidectomies, inguinal herniotomies, dental surgeries, tooth extractions and other surgical cases were also performed. A very special procedure—the very first done at RO Diagan Cooperative Hospital, were two cases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy! Even after the US team returned home at the end of the week, our local team continued their operations. All in all, 180 patients received critically needed surgical interventions.

FISSH was witness to the dire need for surgical interventions of patients from these communities. And because of this, FISSH has decided to return in March 2025 to continue to provide surgeries to those who urgently need it most.

“To everyone who becomes a partaker of His grace the Lord appoints a work for others. Individually we are to stand in our lot and place, saying, "Here am I; send me." Isaiah 6:8. Upon the minister of the word, the missionary nurse, the Christian physician, the individual Christian, whether he be merchant or farmer, professional man or mechanic—the responsibility rests upon all. It is our work to reveal to men the gospel of their salvation. Every enterprise in which we engage should be a means to this end.” (Ministry of Healing 148.2)