UCLA nurse Paulo Montenegro left Los Angeles Monday afternoon for the Philippines to provide medical services to victims of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.
The 24-year-old is the first UCLA nurse whose trip to the Philippines is being paid for by the university, including flight, accommodations and two weeks’ pay. The university has also approved funding for nine more nurses to go to the Philippines.
“I’m excited to be going, I’m ready to go and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I’m just there to help people, that’s my main objective.”
Montenegro came to the U.S. from the Philippines when he was 2 years old. He is traveling back to his native country through National Nurses United, a union that represents about 185,000 nurses. The union already has three other teams of registered nurses in the Philippines.
“We are so happy to know that UCLA’s the first major medical center that has a made a commitment with National Nurses United … to help the victims in the Philippines,” said Emmanuel Punzalan, chief nurse representative for UCLA and Westwood in National Nurses United.
UCLA hopes to send more nurses and physicians to impacted areas in the Philippines in the future, said Mark Speare, senior associate director for patient relations and human resources. Speare said many of UCLA’s nurses are Filipino and have asked the hospital to help with the relief efforts.
The university is currently looking for partnerships with organizations in which the medical center can directly send personnel to the Philippines, he added.
“Our mission is to help people in need,” Speare said. “We’re more than happy to facilitate any organization that’s able to put staff on ground and help.”
So far, UCLA has sent 14 pallets of blankets and sheets and two pallets of medical supplies to the Philippines, in addition to toys, food and other supplies.