Buddhists offer four days of free medical services
Buddhists offer four days of free medical services
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Buddhists Organization (Walubi),
Tzu Chi International Buddhist organization and Jakarta Military
personnel held a four-day free medical service for 9,481 people
in Tangerang recently, a Walubi executive said on Thursday.
Siti Hartati Murdaya, who's also a noted businesswoman, told
The Jakarta Post that residents with harelips, hernias,
cataracts, goiter and many other health problems attended the
program which ran from March 18 to March 22. Participants hailed
from Bogor, Serang, Jakarta, and Tangerang.
A medical team comprising doctors, surgeons, nurses and
volunteers oversaw medical treatment and provided minor
operations at Tzu Chi-Paramita hospital, Tangerang, she said.
"A team of 14 doctors from the U.S., the Philippines and
Taiwan flew in to take part in the program.
"The medical team was comprised of 386 doctors and surgeons,
70 nurses and 513 volunteers. None of them were paid," Hartati
explained.
The main aim of the program was to put into practice "how to
devote our lives to provide services to the poor," she said,
adding that the participating health workers were not all
Buddhists.
"We had Catholics, Christians, Muslims and people (professing
faith) in other religions helping us," she said.
A similar event will be held again by Walubi and Tzu Chi
International next month near the famous Borobudur temple in
Central Java.
During last month's service, 46 people with goiter -- some
with growths weighing three kilograms -- received the free
treatment.
A total of 79 people received hernia operations, 76 had
cataract operations, 79 had harelips operated on and 258
underwent minor operations.
Over 8,000 others sought medical treatment for skin
conditions, women's health problems, childhood illnesses, dental
problems and family planning services.
Coordinator for the event Dr. Ana Thojyoo said: "There was a
17-year-old girl who I thought was suffering from bone cancer as
her right knee was swollen like a balloon.
Surgeons had told her it was useless to amputate the leg, Ana
said.
"She had very little time to live. All we could do was give
her pain relief and lots of food ... the cancer was eating up all
her flesh."
Another patient, a 13-year-old girl from Jakarta, had skin
cancer on her face which had totally disfigured one part.
"Doctors said at least six facial operations were necessary,"
Ana said, adding that the girl was transferred to Fatmawati
Hospital in South Jakarta for the operations.
Hartati said the event was partially funded by wealthy
Indonesian entrepreneurs who donated medicine, equipment and
money to the value of Rp 2 billion. (ylt)