– A German doctor from Leipzig has been conferred the prestigious Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for many years of humanitarian work in the Philippines at a special ceremony held at the historic Rathaus or Town Hall of the city of Leipzig, Germany on 19 November 2019.
Dr. Christopher Hanno Wachsmuth, a surgeon, has been a member of “Operation Restore Hope” since 1998 and is currently Chairperson of the “Operation Restore Hope Deutschland e.V.” The group conducts annual medical missions to the Philippines to treat underprivileged Filipinos with abnormalities in lip and jaw palate sections.
Dr. Wachsmuth and the Operation Restore Hope Team were cited for their contributing to deepening Philippine-German relations and for their exemplary international humanitarian work.
The missions are undertaken in cooperation with the Philippine Department of Health and local government units. The missions have taken place through the years in Manila, Caloocan, and Parañaque, bringing hope and confidence back to thousands of Filipinos who lack access to such treatments.
Dr. Wachsmuth conveyed to Philippine Ambassador to Germany Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung that it was an honor to be able to help needy patients in the Philippines, a country he has grown to love and appreciate.
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega, for her part, paid tribute to the selfless work of Dr. Wachsmuth and the Operation Restore Hope German Team and said this is yet another manifestation of the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries.
The next medical mission of Operation Restore Hope is scheduled for April 2020 in the Philippines. END