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

As of 16 July 2018, AMDA has been carrying out emergency relief activities in Soja City and Mabicho that were heavily affected by the torrential downpours that struck west Japan on 6 July. At the moment, AMDA has worked in four evacuation shelters in the said areas, dispatching five emergency relief teams in total. Some of the relief personnel were also sent in from AMDA’s partner medical institutions that belong to AMDA’s Platform for the Great Nankai Trough Disaster.

-Soja City: Sunwork Soja (Health-related assistance)

As of 15 July, AMDA nurses have held sanitary maintenance and provided a health consultation service in Sunwork Soja, an evacuation center in which 51 people from 19 households have been seeking shelter. On the 15th, besides changing the beddings of the evacuees, AMDA sorted out the space for air conditioner installment and also helped storing relief goods. At the same time, AMDA has been organizing physical exercises for the elderly people who have been forced to remain in the shelter while their family members are out clearing the debris during the day time. AMDA staff have been going around the shelter to talk to the evacuees in person, keeping an eye on children and the elderly alike by trying not to overlook changes in their health conditions. This kind of daily interactions have been essential for the early detection of those who are unwell or and for keeping their mental condition fit. AMDA team has also been checking if the evacuees are drinking enough water or eating properly. Supporting the medical personnel, as well as scheduling for those who need dialysis and allocating their means of transportation are part of AMDA’s important work. AMDA team will continue to work in the shelter on the following day.

-Soja City: Shimobara Community House (Medical assistance)

One of the worst hit areas in Soja City was around Shimobara district where Shimobara Community House is located. AMDA has allocated one nurse and one medical coordinator to provide assistance to the victims and the volunteers who have been working under extreme heat and powder dust to clear the debris. Of those 18 people who have received AMDA’s treatment thus far, about 80 percent of them came to see the nurse for external injuries or heatstroke from the clearing work. Among other ailments were the culmination of fatigue from a week-long evacuation life or those whose health conditions deteriorated as their prescribed medicine ran out. The team has been carrying on with the service on the 16th as well.

-Soja City: Showa Community House (Medical assistance)

AMDA has allocated one nurse and one medical coordinator to provide medical assistance to the victims and the volunteers in Showa Community House located in Showa district, another severely-hit area in Soja City. On the 15th, four people came to seek treatment. One had external injury and three claimed they felt unwell probably due to working under unaccustomed conditions. The team has been providing relief throughout the day.

-Mabicho: Okada Elementary School (Acupuncture service)

Utilizing the space in which AMDA had been providing a massage treatment from the 12th, since the 14th an acupuncture service has also been provided by AMDA’s acupuncturists and acupuncturists from Okayama Prefectural Acupuncturist Association. On the 14th, three therapists treated six patients, followed by four therapists treating 19 patients on the following day. Those who received the service said, “I felt tired all over my body but acupuncture was such a relief” (a woman in her 50s); “My body hurt and I was exhausted from clearing things in my house, but the treatment lightened my physical burden,” (a woman in her 20s); “I had sore shoulders but now I feel much better,” (a man in his teens). In addition, the team partitioned one of the classrooms to make it into four bedrooms. AMDA will continue to serve the evacuees who are working hard to reconstruct their lives.

-Mabicho: Okada Elementary School (Free legal consultation service and support service for non-Japanese victims)

A free legal consultation service has been provided at Okada Elementary School since the 15th. Three people came to seek advice on the first day. At the same time, as there are some non-Japanese residents who were affected by the disaster in the area, AMDA sent one coordinator to be on the standby to help bridge language barriers, guiding them to the legal consultation when inquired. The service is scheduled to end on the 16th but may be provided again if any need arises.