Episode:"Deliverance"

Full name: Divina Varias Ilustre
Nationality: Filipino-Spanish
Profession: Medical doctor
Birthplace: Manila, Philippines
Hobbies: Piano-playing, reading, taking short treks, loves Scrabble
Years with MSF? I have been with MSF since 1995 mostly with Holland group but also with Switzerland and Spain.
Previous MSF Missions? Two missions in Angola; four in Sri Lanka; one each in Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In retrospect, what was your overall impression of your mission in Sri Lanka?

It was very challenging and yet very gratifying. I have always gone back to Mallavi on different missions because I like the work, the people and hospital team and the many different MSF teams with whom I worked with. The work showed results because I was told that the patients would be asking for me and seemed very pleased to see me again and again back in the field. Because I have returned so many times, I have been involved with the lives of patients and the national staff and their families.

What role do you think obstetric care plays in an isolated place like Mallavi?

Obstetrics care plays a very important role in these areas. People travel by bicycle from far away and emergency cases really need fast action. At times, we had cases in which mothers delivered in a cart on the way to the hospital. This is why we occupied an adjoining ward which we named "Mallavi Hotel" – to admit cases before their expected dates because when the labor pains start, the mothers have difficulty coming to the hospital for lack of transportation and perhaps the absence of relatives. Oftentimes, only the small children are in the house, with the husband working somewhere.

We also had an excellent antenatal clinic to give lessons to mothers regarding delivery and childcare, as well as a gynecological consultation day. And the women did really come for consultations even after their first child.

What did the mission mean to you as a professional or personal learning experience?

As far as obstetrics and gynecology is concerned I had a very busy practice with a large number of complicated cases and I took care of referred cases from two other government hospitals. We handled only the emergencies and oftentimes really very immediate cases that would demand quick and fast action. I must say that we had an excellent team among the midwives and the operating theater boys (the fastest I have worked with in all my experience). I teamed up with many surgeons and had a good interchange of knowledge with them. In southern Philippines during the conflict I was able to sharpen my surgical knowledge; the same thing happened to me in Sri Lanka with OB/GYN. I also had an excellent relation with the Tamil specialist in the big government hospital to whom I referred my difficult cases that were not emergencies and that therefore did not need immediate attention.

What are your hopes for the population of Sri Lanka?

The Mallavi Project was closed when I left due to the diminishing number of hospital cases, as the people displaced by the war returned to their homes. I would hope that peace would continue to be a concrete reality so that the people can again experience normal life.

What influenced your choice of profession?

I spent my childhood in Mindanao, southern Philippines. I was very much influenced by the lives of the religious missionaries with whom I came in contact in my formative years – the American Jesuits and the Maryknoll Sisters of New York. My religious belief is the main moving force in my life. The strong example of my mother and her strong religious conviction and unconditional generosity towards the needy has greatly influenced my life.

What sparked your interest in humanitarian work?

My interest in humanitarian work was a long ongoing process that has been continuously reinforced by the different experiences working with the marginalized, the deprived, the needy and the poor. Perhaps I don't feel so comfortable in working in a traditional hospital and even living in an affluent society, although sometimes I enjoy its luxuries.

Most memorable moment with MSF?

It is quite difficult to pinpoint because I am a person who enjoys the little things in life and who enjoys the present. On the whole, I have enjoyed working with different teams and with different nationalities. I have enjoyed the moments when my patients would kiss me goodbye in gratitude for being taken cared of well, after a difficult struggle, and sharing this with the team. The Angola M'Bangza Congo project (my first MSF mission) was particularly memorable for its difficulty –very poor people and very difficult work – but also because of the excellent people I worked with.

Anything else you'd like to share about yourself or your work?

About myself:
I learned a long time ago that I could work with different kinds of people of different nationalities and I could develop very good relationship with the people of any country. If I miss a place, it is because I miss the people!
About my work:
I am most happy if I am in the field and could do something to make my little world around me a better world.