30 years of treating patients for free

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HOMETOWN SNAPSHOTS
HOMETOWN SNAPSHOTS : 30 years of treating patients for free


By Donna Demetillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Posted date: October 11, 2008


BAGUIO CITY – The revelation came to Dr. Victor Dumaguing 30 years ago when a woman and her son came to him for treatment.
He recalls that day: “A mother brought her son for treatment of pneumonia and tuberculosis. I examined the mother and found she, too, had tuberculosis. I thought to myself: How could she take care of her son when she herself was sick? Whatever money they had, they should use it for medicines.”

Since then, Dumaguing, 59, has been treating patients for free.


“I opened my eyes to the realities of the medical field. I saw the need,” said Dumaguing, a native of Naguilian, La Union.

On Sept. 29, he was among 10 doctors honored by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Senate Philippines in the annual search for The Outstanding Filipino Physicians (TOFP).

“I was the only doctor there who is from the province. I felt honored that someone was chosen from the Cordillera,” said Dumaguing, who stands firm in his desire to stay in the country and serve Filipinos.

After graduating from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay (UERM) Medical School, where he finished salutatorian, Dumaguing worked at the government-owned Philippine General Hospital.

Working in the outpatient department of a government hospital, he treated people who were very ill and had little money to spare for medication.

It was at that moment that Dumaguing made a “covenant with God” that he would never collect fees from his patients.

He is one of the doctors of the Saint Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart here where patients line up to see him as their doctor and friend.

“He is our doctor but he is also our guidance counselor,” said a patient.

Dumaguing continues to give free medical attention, earning his bread and butter from teaching instead.

On weekends, he goes around the villages where he conducts lectures on maternal and child health, performs circumcisions, does blood tests and deworming, and gives away basic medicines for cough, colds, fever and diarrhea, among other things, as part of his outreach program.

He also joins civic organizations in various charity works. He has been called “the rain or shine doctor” for going about medical missions in bad and good weather.





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