2011.6.19.
Winter Clinic Enters Remote District
Text, Photography by Yuan-Hao Lee
Tzu Chi Foundation Brazil Branch Office visited Cocaia District on June 19, 2011 to distribute supplies and medical care. Although it only takes 50 minutes drive to get to the Cocaia District but the exact location was difficult to find even on Google map. Because of this, many of our cars were lost on the way. After closer examination of the exact location, we eventually arrived at the clinic location. Upon arrival, we witnessed crowds of people waiting outside the school to get medical treatment.
Dental hygiene begins at childhood; Dr. Wen-Te Chen examines our little patients.
Providing Medical Care & Food Bank
The free clinic consisted of eight divisions including internal medicine, dentistry, ophthalmology, dermatology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatric, division of psychological and cardiology.Ophthalmology was the most popular in terms of attendance. In the clinic dentist, Wen-Te Chen examined oral cavity; gynecologist Tai-Chang Wang used ultrasonic to inspect babies inside the mothers’ womb. Cardiologist Kuo-Chi Chou attentively asked patients the details of the daily life. Volunteers helped people to choose glasses.
Locol volunteers assist people to complete the questionnaire and register.
After seeing the doctor, residents can go to another classroom to pick up free pharmaceutical medicine. Several physicians brought their own drugs to distribute to their patients. Some volunteers went to neighborhoods to distribute food baskets and blankets to fight off the cold weather.
Photo1: Volunteer Pin-Yong Tsai attends to ophthalmology patients by matching correct glasses for them.
Photo2: Tai-Chang Wang, MD using ultrasound examines the little angel inside mother’s womb.
Photo3: In addition to medical treatment, volunteer Kuo-Chang Chiu provides haircut service to the residents.
For the home visits, nine families were visited, and among them, four are single parents raising their children alone, coincidentally they all have four children. Local resident Katia, a single mom raising four small children, said her children are lucky to have good health. Their main source of income relies on the government’s aid, yet the bigger concern such as the children’s education resource and future remain unknown.
Volunteers check the pharmaceutical inventory so local people can pickup free medicine.
Near the end of the clinic, Tzu Chi volunteers provided many baby strollers and diapers. At the end of the clinic, 324 patients were served by 45 physicians in fields of internal medicine, dentistry, ophthalmology, dermatology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychology, and cardiology joined the free clinic. To complete the service, volunteers also provided haircut services so everyone would go home with new looks.
