20130916 良醫妙手補缺憾 Selfless Doctors Changing Lives
For ophthalmology in our free clinic events, we used to only be able to offer cataract surgery. But since Dr. Say joined Tzu Chi 10 years ago, he has assembled a very good medical team. Every time Dr. Say calls them, they would help us at our free clinic. This is he waiting area. Patients receive a number no. 1, no.2, no. 3, in the order they come. We also give a presentation here to let the patients know that the funding of the clinic comes donations. So, the funds are not easy to come by.
All the footage that we saw are the result of years of dedicated efforts by our volunteers. Our volunteers in the Philippines gave rise to a thought of love and started organizing free clinics, beginning in April of 1995. The late Dr. Leh of the Chinese General Hospital, and other doctors such as Dr. Qua and Dr. Sy responded to our volunteers’ love and went with them to provide free clinic services on remote islands of the Philippines.
For their dental service, we saw how the teeth they pulled out could fill a whole basket because when tooth aches get severe and people have no access to regular dental care, our dentists can only pull their tooth out so it won’t keep hurting. So, for the free clinics on remote islands, they were only able to pull out patients’ teeth. But now, they are able to provide dentures to patients. This is an improvement over the past 10 years.
It’s the same for ophthalmology. In the past, they could only provide medicine. But now, they are able to perform surgery on site, give treatment, and provide eye glasses to patients. They can provide a complete service. In Manila, we now have a free clinic center and it also includes an eye clinic equipped with all instruments needed for eye treatment.
We saw Justin, who is 15 years old and suffers from high myopia of over-20. So, our volunteers helped provide him with the glasses he needs. I am very happy, now I can see the words on the blackboard. Thank you so much!
You see how grateful the boy is. He even sings and dances to express his gratitude. At our free eye clinic, we can also correct squint, and do cornea transplants, and do cornea transplants, and now we can also treat retinal detachment. So our eye clinic has very complete facilities. I am truly very grateful to Dr. Say for his contribution to our eye clinic. He has helped countless people get their vision back.
This benefits people significantly. This all shows what can be accomplished with persistent efforts over time and the improvement of medical science. But there are also many who cannot come to the clinic, so our doctors go to them. We held a free clinic in Manila’s outskirts, but there were many patients who couldn’t come because they are so poor that they didn’t have money for transportation.
This is why we started doing home visits. If they can’t come to us, we must go to them. Since we want to help them, we’ll find a way.
They visited poor families who cannot come to our free clinic to learn more about their situation. They treated people at their homes or helped them get treatment at the hospital. They also brought rice to their home, etc. Seeing all this is truly touching. Every free clinic event provided many departments’ services.
Our TIMA doctors have truly become bodhisattvas who relieve suffering for they not only serve in their medical capacity, but also personally take part in Tzu Chi’s charitable work, giving of themselves to care for people in need. A number of them are now certified Tzu Chi volunteers it is very heartwarming to see.
Today, our TIMA members worldwide will be returning to Taiwan from their various countries for the annual TIMA convention held at the time of the Moon Festival. This tradition started with our Philippine doctors. Stating in 1996, Dr. Leh from the Philippines would bring their local medical team to celebrate the Moon Festival with me. Then in 1997, on this day exactly, Dr. Leh proposed the idea of formally organizing their team as the Tzu Chi Philippines Medical Team I agreed.
This happened today back in 1997. So, all these years, we’ve continued the tradition of holding the annual TIMA convention at the time of the Moon Festival, and this tradition began with our Philippine doctors. Master, I really want to attend this year’s TIMA convention, which is TIMA’s 15th anniversary. But, sadly, I must attend to a matter in the U.S. at this time. But, here in the Philippines, we’ve never forgotten what you taught us and we’re still carrying out the mission.
We also see our volunteer, Anton, who is carrying out Tzu Chi work in faraway Zamboanga. He shoulders a heavy load, for they not only provide medical aid, but also do charity work. He is the one in charge of our Tzu Chi mission in Zamboanga.
Every day that he is alive, he works hard to fulfill my goal of saving people in need. So, he doesn’t feel he has time to rest. These past days with the unrest in Zamboanga, I’ve been very concerned about our local Tzu Chi volunteers’ wellbeing. Our volunteers there have taken up relief work during the siege. They find and purchase daily necessities to prepare into personal care packs, which are sent to evacuation centers with the military’s help.
There are about 60,000 people staying at the evacuation centers and our volunteers have been providing them assistance. In situations like this, our volunteers have to exercise their love and wisdom to help people seeking safety in the evacuation centers. Indeed, when there are hostilities in the society, people always suffer a lot of hardship.
We really need to be vigilant and live with piety, for there are many crises and disasters happening. The greater environment we live in is not balanced and well. Also, right now, another tropical cyclone may form over the western part of the Pacific Ocean. So, we must all be on the alert and pay attention to the developments of any tropical cyclone that might form, even if it turns out to be only a tropical depression, because it will still bring heavy rain.
All Tzu Chi volunteers in Taiwan need to be guard and take proper precautions against the heavy rain and strong winds. So, we really need to be vigilant and on guard.
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