By Eugene Yu Cheng Taw, M.D. FACS

Volunteering for medical services has been my wish for some time. Tzu-Chi's call for me to join the medical relief work in Peru came as a wish fulfilled.

In the beginning of this year, Northern Peru was devastated but the storms caused by El Nino. In a land where a few inches of rain are too much, El Nino not only destroyed homes and properties but also brought flood-related diseases such as cholera, dysentery, skin infections, typhoid etc. to the area. Therefore, our mission was to take care of these diseases with appropriate antibiotics and other medications.

We left Los Angeles on Saturday, August 15th 1998. The trip to Lima, Peru was a very comfortable eight-hour direct flight. Even though we arrived after midnight, we managed to get a few hours of sleep. The next morning, we teamed up with other fellow Tzu-Chi members and flew to Chiclayo, where we stationed our headquarters at a nice hotel. Our staff included Tzu-Chi representatives from Taiwan, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Georgia, Argentina and Peru. In addition, the Red Cross and Health Department of Lambayaque, Peru contributed the majority of manpower. Most of all, we were fortunate to have Mr. Gregorio Huang, who lives in Lima and is a scholar on Peruvian history culture and language. He arranged and coordinated the entire mission.

After settling down, we headed immediately to various locations to carry out our predefined functions. Most of our staff members went out to deliver relief supplies. They were lifting foods and supplies heavier than 80 pounds to the hands of the needy people. Even though their job was difficult and dangerous, they were energetic and felt rewarded. Meanwhile, our medical group went out to set up a makeshift medical clinic. In our contingent, we had tow MD's, one OMD, three assistants, three interpreters, six Peruvian doctors, their assistants and many Red Cross social workers. Everyday we saw over 200 patients.

The first day of the clinic was very busy yet uneventful. However, the second day when we were in Olmos was a totally different atmosphere. After we set up the clinic inside the house, we saw patients one after another, and some were even hauled in by ambulances. In fact, we diagnosed a moaning and groaning patient who had abdominal pain with pertonitis for seven days. Fortunately, he was seen in time and was sent to the nearest hospital for and operation. Later, a tow-year-old child came in with an abscess to the left chest wall. Dr. Ming-Chang Hsu aspirated the pus, and the child was also sent to the hospital by ambulance for drainage of the pus. Furthermore, we sent two more children to the hospital for treatment of pneumonia and phymosis. Although we doctors had a hectic day, Mrs. Emma Chen, a local Tzu-Chi staff- member, was the most busy and capable. She coordinated with the Red Cross, controlled the anxious crowd, and talked to the reporters. We continued our third day of the mission in Illimo. Unlike the second day, we set up our clinic in a spacious gymnasium, and the flow of patients was much smoother. In addition to seeing regular local patients, I saw a few coming in for second opinion regarding their Otorhinilaryngological problem. The day ended with a ceremony hosted by Tzu-Chi commissioner Mr. Stephen Hunang and other officials. We felt good that our efforts and services were deeply appreciated and honored. On the last day of our mission, we went to another place named Puirto Etan. Thanks to the local clergy, we concluded the last service on our schedule with a smooth and well-organized camp. Although flood related diseases were no longer a threat, other ailments emerged. Most patients were children, women and the elderly. Nevertheless, unlike in the U.S., we found very few adults who had hypertension. Most complaints were related to allergies, skin infections in children, muscle and joint ailments in older adults probably caused by hard labor. Luckily, we had Dr. Jason Tsing from Texas to relieve their pains with acupuncture.

We said good-bye to Peru and flew back to LA on Friday, August 21st. To me, this memorable trip exhibited the exchange of friendship, hard work, mutual respect, and most of all, love and caring. I was touched especially when Mr. Stephen Huang learned that the public hospital refused to accept the child who had an abscess in his chest wall, he arranged and paid for the expenses at a private hospital. Seeing others who have given unselfishly, I take pride in being one of the Tzu-Chi volunteers in this mission. The joy of giving is the source of our happiness, and I am grateful to Tzu-Chi for this opportunity.