Venezuelan doctors prepare for second round of Mission Miracle
Operacion Milagros or in English, Mission Miracle, is getting ready to send a second group of eye patients to receive free corrective eye surgery in Venezuela. The program is sponsored by that country’s government and it offers free testing and surgery plus covers the costs of transportation and accommodations. Mission Miracle had a successful first run and today screening started to identify the next set of eye patients that will be given the gift of good sight. News Five spoke to First Secretary of the Venezuelan Embassy, Gabriel Sanchez.
Gabriel Sanchez, First Secretary, Venezuelan Embassy
“Today we started the second screening for Mission Miracle. The first screening that we did was in February and we got like nine hundred and forty-seven patients screened. We selected two hundred and forty patients to go to Venezuela. And now that we have this first plane that went to Venezuela on April seventh, now we have to get more patients and that’s why we’ve started the second screening. We’re starting in Belize City and we’re going to continue to some other locations here in Belize.”
“Tomorrow, Friday we will be in Dangriga, Saturday we’re going to be in Punta Gorda at the Town Council, Sunday is going to be in San Ignacio at the Center for Employment Training, Monday is going to be in Benque Viejo Del Carmen and it’s going to be at the court. I don’t remember the name of the court but it’s going to be at the court. You can talk to Laura, the mayor’s secretary and she can give you the specific information on where it’s going to be. On Tuesday it’s going to be in Orange Walk at the Northern Regional Hospital. by Wednesday, we’ll be in Corozal at the Corozal Community Hospital and Thursday, which is going to be the last day we’ll be at the IVCC, which is the Venezuelan Institute for Cultural Cooperation, which is located in Belmopan.”
“The first plane that went to Venezuela was successful, it was extremely nice. Patients got their operations and in fact they had the opportunity to get to know better—some patients who went to Venezuela in fact now they are friends. They call each other, they are talking to each other and seeing the treatment that they have right now, they had the opportunity to do some stuff in Venezuela and all the operation were pretty much fine.”
The clinics run from eight a.m. to one p.m. After this set of screening, the persons selected to go for the free treatment will head to Venezuela within a month.
