According the report In the secluded Agutaya archipelago, 99-year-old Eleuthera Abus winces in pain as she lifts her right arm, feeling the discomfort of broken bones. Despite six months passing since her fall, her family refuses to take her to the hospital, leaving Alena Yap, a 28-year-old doctor, with the task of managing her pain from her porch.
Eleuthera’s daughters are not devoid of compassion; they simply lack the means to afford proper medical care. The nearest surgical facility lies hundreds of miles away, across the sea from their humble residence on the island of Diit. Within the Agutaya archipelago, which is marooned in the midst of the Sulu Sea in the Philippines, Dr. Alena is the sole healthcare provider. Despite the challenges, she remains determined and wears a constant smile that masks her resolute nature, even though she grapples with limited resources.
Dr. Alena tends to the medical needs of approximately 13,000 inhabitants in the region, making regular visits to all but one island—the exclusive Amanpulo, known for its luxury resort that has attracted celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Beyoncé. Despite being just 20km (12 miles) away from Diit, the island of Amanpulo remains off her itinerary.
Dr. Alena’s arrival coincided with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, subjecting her to death threats as she insisted on isolating people. However, the global health crisis was merely one of the many obstacles she faced in this often-neglected corner of the Philippines. She confronted both new and familiar diseases and grappled with the country’s significant challenges. Initially motivated to bring about substantial changes in Agutaya, she ultimately departed feeling deeply disillusioned.
These remote volcanic islands are an unlikely place to encounter a graduate from the country’s prestigious medical school, especially one who had spent her entire life in the bustling capital of Manila. While many of her peers sought career opportunities in countries like Australia, America, and Britain, Dr. Alena volunteered for a government program that dispatched her to this impoverished municipality, seeking to make a genuine difference in the lives of the local population.