Lanyu volunteer clinic – reflecting on medical treatment in the outlying islands

A volunteer medical team from Mennonite Christian Hospital in Hualian, which also included ophthalmologists from Tzu Chi Hospital and other enthusiastic professionals from the field, recently visited Lanyu Island in Taitung County. With limited manpower and facilities, equipment was transported by car from Hualian to Taitung before being flown to Lanyu. Although the flight from Taitung Airfield to Lanyu - the ‘The Land of Flying Fish’, is only a short 25-minute trip, preparations for the journey took over two months.

With a special focus on treating elderly residents and elementary school students, the team of twenty medical staff spent five days visiting tribal communities and schools in a total of 6 villages, including Yeyou (椰油, Yayu), Hongtou (紅頭, Imourud), Dongqing (東清, Iranumilk), Yeyin (野銀, Ivarinu), Yuren (漁人, Iratai), and Langdao (朗島, Iraralay), providing a comprehensive screening service, follow-up checkups and optometric correction. 

Lanyu volunteer clinic – reflecting on medical treatment in the outlying islands

URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/241949

(以下是中文對照)

蘭嶼義診，離島醫療的省思

照片

花蓮門諾醫院的醫療義診團，來到台東縣離島－蘭嶼鄉，義診團隊中也有慈濟醫院眼科醫師的參與，還有對偏鄉義診有熱情的視光專業夥伴們加入。大家在最有限的人力與器材設備下，把設備從花蓮開車運到台東，再從台東機場用貨運把器材直運到蘭嶼。從台東?機場飛到「飛魚的故鄉」，雖然只要短短二十五分鐘左右的航程，但是行前的準備與連繫過程，卻超過兩個月。在五天的義診行程中，義診團隊共二十幾人，走遍了椰油、紅頭、東清、野銀、漁人、朗島等六個部落的社區與學校，針對社區民眾與長輩、國中小校園的學子，做整體性的篩檢服務與後續的視光治療與輔具矯正。