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We opened the free clinic half an hour early today
to avoid patients waiting in line for a long time. Things
have been running smoothly at the clinic, and more people
seem interested in seeing our doctors, who come from
Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. "My neighbor told
me that the doctors here are like God," said a
thin-faced patient, Wanigabadu, who traveled 15 kilometers
to come to our free clinic.
Like most people here, Wanigabadu is a farmer with
limited and unsteady income, and seeing a doctor is
considered a luxury. "The free medical care is
a great service to us since we cannot afford medicine,"
Wanigabadu said gratefully. He greatly admired the thorough
and detailed medical treatment from Tzu Chi doctors
as well as the sincere care and humble attitude of the
volunteers.
A mobile medical team from South Korea's Tongguk University
visited our clinic at 9:15 a.m. They were circling the
disaster areas to offer medical services and admired
what we did at our free clinic. It was a great pleasure
to meet people carrying out similar missions of love
here.
At noon, four doctors and nurses from Pakistan showed
up at the clinic, and our doctors immediately shared
their space with them so that they would also have the
opportunity to offer their services. They said that
starting from the next day, they would spend four hours
each day in participating in our medical services.
Although there are already enough staff members on
hand, it would be nice to share this opportunity of
serving others with them. With their professional knowledge,
they were able to learn our medical procedures in a
short amount of time.
At 5:15 p.m., the former Sri Lankan foreign minister
and Norway's ambassador to Colombo visited us. Brother
Hsieh Ching-kuei briefed them on Tzu Chi's relief plans
and showed them the tent house community that is underway.
The Norwegian envoy was very interested in the design
of the tents.
Fewer people visited the clinic today because it was
a holiday. The medical service ended at around 5 p.m.
with 691 medical and 89 dental patients served. At the
end of the day, doctors and nurses started to clean
up: mopping tables, chairs, and sweeping floors. These
medical personnel, who normally perform surgeries and
treat patients, are also quite efficient and proficient
at doing household chores. We deeply respect their humble
attitudes.
A local volunteer, Safia, expressed her thanks to Tzu
Chi, saying that "we local people hardly offer
a helping hand to each other, but you have come from
faraway by plane to help us. We are truly grateful to
you!" Another worker from the Leader Day firm shook
hands with every one of us to say goodbye before going
back to work in Colombo. He said that he had learned
a lot about compassion and high efficiency from Tzu
Chi, and the experience he had here would be very helpful
for his future work.
The local Sri Lankan volunteers came to know Tzu Chi
because of the tsunami, and we hope that the seeds planted
here will bloom in the future and benefit those in need,
making Sri Lanka, once considered a paradise on earth,
a real paradise of love.
Mr. Rafdeen was fishing as usual before the first tsunami
pushed his boat onshore and then drew him back into
the ocean. He had never experienced such huge waves
before and was terrified. When another wave threw him
back onshore, he jumped off the boat and ran, terrified,
to higher grounds. He lost his wife, two children, a
house, as well as an elder sister and niece during the
tsunami, and was staying temporarily with his younger
sister.
When we visited him, Rafdeen held back his tears and
was very grateful for the care and love from Tzu Chi.
Later he said, "I will go back to the sea for a
living." Even though we went with the purpose of
offering our support, we ourselves learned a great lesson
from his strength and perseverance.
When the tsunami struck the shores of Hambantota on
the morning of Dec. 26, the 19-year-old Chaturani was
in an English class at school. Since going back to the
damaged area near shores was too dangerous, she was
sent to her aunt's house near the mountains. Her father
came in the afternoon and told her that they had lost
all their family members, including grandparents, mother,
and two younger brothers. Only one brother's body was
found.
Even three weeks after the tsunami, Chaturani still
had a hard time accepting the tragedy. A friend told
her about Tzu Chi, and she was happy to serve as a translation
volunteer for us. However, we know that she frequently
shed tears in her heart for the loss of her mother and
brothers, and we admire her strength. She indicated
that it was good to help others, and that she would
like to be a Tzu Chi volunteer for as long as she could.
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