To Execute a Medical Mission in Urabá, Colombia
US: Turbana teams with Local Rotary Club and “Heal the Children”
Turbana Corporation, the largest importer of Fair Trade Certified bananas in North America and the largest grower owned banana company in the world, along with its Social Foundation, FundaUniban today announces that it has partnered with the North American Medical Mission “Heal the Children,” The Rotary Club of Urabá, as well as other organizations to execute a large mission in the region of Urabá, Colombia. These organizations came together to conduct surgeries on a number of adults and children with cleft lip and cleft palate deformities. This recent mission is part of Turbana’s social commitment to the region.
FundaUniban was formed in 1987 to assist the company’s growers and farm workers with sustaining a better quality of life for themselves, their families and the surrounding communities. Because of the poverty level in the area, many of the Urabá residents go without their basic living, nutritional and sanitary needs met. The social foundation conducts a number of programs and missions focused on various concerns such as education, housing, community infrastructure and health. The cleft lip/cleft palate epidemic among the Urabá residents is one of the many issues that FundaUniban has been working on.
In an effort to help the people of Urabá, 18 doctors (comprised of surgeons, anesthesiologists, therapists and nurses) from all over the United States flew to Colombia late last year for a week long, pro bono mission. A total of 46 people, ranging between the ages of 3 months to 41 years, with cleft lip/cleft palate deformities underwent surgery in only 6 days. In total, 51 procedures were performed due to a number of patients needing more than one surgery to make the necessary corrections.
Through its program “Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate in Urabá,” FundaUniban is completely in charge of the recuperation of those that received surgeries, including medical and psychological follow up visits for the patients and their families in order to achieve a comprehensive recovery. FundaUniban also provided all of the medical equipment required for the surgeries while the other organizations involved including a local hospital and local businesses provided an extraordinary amount of selfless aid in this mission.
“The participating medical professionals from the US, along with the support of the other organizations involved, selflessly provided their resources and time to this wonderful cause”, Olga Lucia Pelaez, FundaUniban. “Because the mission was so successful, efforts are already being put in place to return again next year. Helping those who suffer from a cleft lip or palate deformity is only one of the many social causes that we are proud to be a part of and look forward to the future of this mission.”
Media Contact:
Marion Tabard
Turbana Corporation
Office: (305) 445-1542
Email: [email protected]