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)