International surgical charity for underprivileged children
Operation Restore Hope has been fortunate to partner with the Mijares-Gurango Craniofacial Foundation since 2007. The Foundation, headed up by the talented Plastic Surgeon Dr Taps Gurango has made it possible for us to care for children with very complex craniofacial cases. These cases include but are not limited to rare facial clefts, encephaloceles and very wide clefts that require orthodontia. None of these cases would be suited to a mission environment. The collaboration between Dr Gurango and Dr Hodgkinson has ensured that the children who present at Operation Restore Hope missions with more profound needs are provided both surgery and ongoing care at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Manila with funding sourced by Operation Restore Hope.
Operation Restore Hope Australia is proud to announce that it has started a partnership
with San Juan Medical Center (SJMC) in 2025. ORHA is very excited about having a partnership with this 150-bed public hospital for many reasons. One of the reasons is that SJMC will allow ORHA patients to be cared for at their facilities not just during missions but throughout the year, not only providing better services for our patients but making better use of our resources such as medical equipment and supplies. SJMC also has on site the ancillary services which make cleft lip and palate surgery not only safer but allow us to provide comprehensive care to our cleft patients. These services include but are not limited to: a Well Baby Clinic; Diagnostic procedures; Laboratory procedures; Surgical procedures; Dental services; Nutrition counselling; Expanded newborn screening test; Intensive Care Unit (ICU) – pediatric & neonatal.
Impressively, the Medical Director of SJMC is also long-standing ORHA volunteer plastic surgeon, Brigadier General Joseph Acosta. Prior to his role at SJMC, “DocGen Acosta” served as commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center (AFPMC) and as Chief of Medical Corps of the AFP as well as being involved in numerous charitable surgery and healthcare initiatives.
Ben Mead, Director of The Mead Foundation first became involved with Operation Restore Hope Australia in 2016. Ben was instrumental in organising Las Piñas City Medical Center (LPCMC) as a base for missions in Manila for several years beginning in 2017. Ben and his family, being residents in Manila proved to be invaluable, pitching in and helping with the LPCMC mission in every way they could.
In 2019, Ben was made a Director of ORHA and in that same year The Mead Foundation would become an official partner of ORHA serving as the charity’s on the ground operational partner.
In addition to partnering with ORHA, The Mead Foundation’s other initiatives include community development – such as school infrastructure, clean water, child-focused nutrition and feeding programs – as well as scholarships for agricultural university students.
The Philippine Australian Medical Association (PAMA) was founded more than 25 years ago. Its initial purpose was to assist Filipino medical professionals in obtaining the necessary licensure for practice in Australia.
Today, the Association not only fulfils this purpose but goes above and beyond in upholding standards in medicine whilst promoting professional development and fellowship among its members.
PAMA both promotes charitable medical missions as well as holding its own medical missions annually to remote areas of the Philippines. PAMA has been carrying out missions since 2008! PAMA assists Operation Restore Hope through active networking and sharing of knowledge and resources.
Operation Restore Hope / Operation Restore Hope Australia does not have agreements or affiliations with Operation Restore Hope Germany, New Zealand or USA.