 | On June 21st, twelve Tzu Chi members along with 3 doctors went to Barangay Tonsuya in Malabon for house calls.
This was the first time for the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA), Philippines to undertake this task. On their way, the doctors and the Tzu Chi members carrying the medicine containers had to cross a very narrow bridge that made them a little afraid. For most of them, it was their first time to be in this type of environment and so left , and the experience left a very deep impression on them.
Even though this was the first time for the Tzu Chi members to go to Barangay Tonsuya, the volunteers in blue and white were not strangers to the local people of Tonsuya. Aside from the medical mission held last July, the Tzu Chi members also went there for post-mission treatment and care for the patients. Upon seeing their friends once again, This is why the young children, seeing their friends were started waving and greeting the volunteers as they passed.
The main beneficiaries of the house calls were Tzu Chi assistance cases. However, there were also some cases that were recommended by local leaders. The doctors took extra care to look at the patients and the medical personnel and volunteers were covered with perspiration and had to, bent crouch while working in the cramped shanties,, but they were still very finestill pressed on.
The first case the volunteers visited was the family of Valiente who lived in a partly collapsed shanty. A total of 7 people lived in the small, cramped makeshift home. Dr. Tan and Sister Ornella took off their shoes and ducked to enter the ‘house’. Inside the house, there was a baby who was found to have breathing problems and who needed to be brought to the hospital immediately. Dr. Sy quickly informed the Tondo Medical Center. Initially, the mother wanted to wait until the next day to bring the baby to the hospital, because she was worried about who would take care of the other children and their house, as her husband was away. After much persuasion and advice from the Tzu Chi members, she finally agreed.
Meanwhile, Valiente’s other children surrounded the other volunteers, pulling the volunteers’ hand and excitedly showing the volunteers what was happening in their classes, showing them their assignment notebooks. Because their mom was busy taking care of the baby and it was almost time to go to school for them, the Tzu Chi volunteers helped in giving the children a shower, giving them new pairs of shoes, helping them change into cleaner school uniforms and sending them to school.
Knowing that there were doctors in town, nearby fathers and mothers came with their children,. But because of time constraintthe little time they had, the doctors examined only the children who had fever were examined. In the hope of helping the children to recover as soon as possible, the doctors immediately prescribed medicine after the examination, along with instructions on how to take them.After the examination, medicines were immediately prescribed and instructions on how to take them were given, in the hope of helping the children recover as soon as possible.
The doctors continued to head to the other homes. They visited Illuminado Ginalo, who lost his ability to walk due to an injury to his foot two years ago. Because he was suffering from a cough, he was also brought to the hospital for an x-ray. Aside from assisting him during the examination, the volunteers also brought some daily necessities for himGinalo. When his wife saw the toothpaste and toothbrushes, she was very happy and was laughinglaughed delightedly, showing her toothless gums. Luckily, Tthe grandfather luckily still had some teeth left;, so at least these the toothbrushes can still be used.
The next person the volunteers visited was a 67-year-old grandfather, Jesus Melca. His body was weak and he also had asthma. He laid in bed all day and had to take his medicine. His wife left early in the day to sell popsicles and came home late. The Tzu Chi doctor has prescribed medicine for his tuberculosis and the volunteers will vowed to send more medicine in the future.be sending more in the future.
Time passed by as the humid air blew, and not very long after, it was already well into the afternoon; and tthe volunteers and doctors started to feel a little hungry. Some of the volunteers have had already begun to headed home. Doctor Sy also had to go back to the hospital because he had a patient waiting for him. The remaining 6 volunteers and 2 doctors went back to work right after their meal.
The afternoon sky was dark, as if it and looked as if it would rain at any time. The streets were already flooded due to the high tide. The volunteers quickened their pace to Dominador’s house. When they came beforeThe last time they visited him, Dr. Jian, the vice superintendent of Tzu Chi Da Lin Hospital in Taiwan, had left instructions for the volunteers to measure his blood pressure. The doctor then prescribed medicine for high blood pressure and taught his wife how to massage him and turn him over from time to time. and help him stand up. Sister Ornella also advised them to avoid oily or salty food.
While going from house to house, the volunteers received an urgent request to examine a girl. there was a person who suddenly requested the doctor to examine a girl. The girl and her mom mother just came arrived from the province. The girl is was already 15 years old but she seemed smaller and thinner than normal girls her age. When she was 4 months old, she had a fever that affected her brain;, and as a result is still not she was and still is unable to speak or walk, and she also had also became become very weak. Because child she had asthma, was feverish, and coughing very badly, Sister Ornella suggested that the child be sent to the hospital.
The Philippine medical team has done medical missions for many years now, treating more than 140,000 poor patients. However, this was the first time for the team to actually go to and see the residents of the depressed areas to treat them. The doctors were willing to take time away from their busy professionsschedules, to go throughand endure the not so pleasant environment and just to be involved in such a workproviding health care to the needy. Together with the volunteers, they took carelooked after of the patients’’s medical needs with care love and respect. The volunteers are were moved by the doctors’ actions, and because of thethanks to these doctors, the residents have availed of the much-needed medical services.
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