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

AMDA’s coordinator (also a board member), who was happened to be from the town of Mashiki-machi, withdrew from AMDA’s activity site (Hiroyasu Elementary School) after a month-stint. The coordinator who was running the team of over 100 relief personnel said the team work was absolutely stunning: the cooperation between doctors, nurses, pharmacists, acupuncturists, physiotherapists and care workers (all from different workplaces and locations) bore fruit in the most ideal form. In a sense, “unimaginable” was the way to put it when she found herself conducting emergency relief at the place where she grew up; she expressed her sincere gratitude to the staff both as a relief personnel and a beneficiary.

At a special nursing home in Kumamoto City where Mashiki-machi’s elderly evacuees (who are in need constant nursing care) have been relocated, AMDA’s acupuncturists have started visiting them on a regular basis. The acupuncture therapy which has been offered since April 24^th in Mashiki-machi is so popular that still more than 30 people are visiting the clinic daily. One elderly woman was so happy that she was able to bend her knees after receiving the therapy. Acupuncture is said to be effective for body aches, headaches, insomnia and even for frequent urination.


 

One of the acupuncturists said that the evacuees’ stress has been accumulated enormously due to the month-long shelter life. However, the acupuncture clinic is practically functioning as a place where people can come and vent their complaints while being treated. Unlike the shelter where people are housed in a shared space, the partitioned acupuncture room is securing complete privacy, thereby allowing the visitors to speak freely without being heard by others. The acupuncturists hope to put the evacuees at ease, both physically and mentally, by making the utmost use of this private space.

Now, recreational activities and events (concerts etc.) are held time to time at the evacuation shelters in the area, all of which are aimed at having “a change of air.”