Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

GPSP Soul and Medicine Programme was started as “AMDA Soul and Medicine Programme” in the Philippines in the year of 2000. During this programme, generally, people with different religion of faith from the host/local country and Japan come together to pay their respect to all those who were lost during World War II as well as during natural disasters.

Under the new movement of Global Partnership for Sustainable Peace (GPSP), on 1st of December 2015, GPSP Soul and Medicine Programme was held in Barangay San Jose, where 2013 Typhoon Yolanda first landed, in Tacloban of Leyte, Philippines. This event was made possible with the support from Hon. Bagulaya, Leyte Provincial board member and former vice governor of Province of Leyte. This year marks 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. In addition, Year 2016 is the 60th memorial year of normalization of diplomatic relation between Philippines and Japan. One local priest from Tacloban, 2 Japanese Tenrikyo priests with 2 of their followers and 40 local people who suffered from the typhoon participated at the prayer event.

The programme started with opening remarks from Hon. Bagulaya. She talked about the purpose of GPSP Soul and Medicine Programme followed by a local priest’s prayer for peace. He addressed the importance of giving hands to someone in need of help and the goodness of Filipino having smile on their face in times of difficulties. Then, Tenri-kyo Japanese priests prayed for peace and emphasized the importance to deepen mutual-understandings through helping each other when in need. A Tacloban City councilor and a board member of the Leyte Province expressed their appreciation for AMDA’s relief mission and reconstruction support for Typhoon Yolanda. At the end, the ceremony ended with the closing remarks from barangay captain of San Jose.

On the following day, Leyte Medical Society offered their medical services to people from the northern part of Tacloban city, as part of ‘Support for the poor in urban areas’ programme. AMDA nurse was also able to participate in the mission at Leyte Medical Society building, which was newly reconstructed with support from the Japan Medical Association, Fukuyama City Medical Association and AMDA. 8 medical doctors from Leyte Medical Society, 6 interns, and 2 nurses from Tacloban city collaboratively provided consultation to over 100 patients, including the affected people who are forced to relocate to the northern part of Tacloban, and distributed free medications. A donated weight scale and stethoscopes from AMDA were utilized during the medical mission. After their consultations, patients expressed their gratitude for the medical mission.