Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995
Activities
AMDA Emergency Relief #2: Flooding in Noto, Japan
Publication date:2024-10-02
On the morning of 27 September, AMDA dispatched two acupuncturists to flood-stricken Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on the Noto Peninsula. AMDA has a track record of incorporating acupuncture into its emergency relief activities. The therapy is well received by evacuees at evacuation centers where both mental and physical stress take a toll on them.
Since their arrival in Wajima on 27 September, the two have started offering acupuncture treatment in several nursing homes and welfare facilities.
Including the Hinatabokko nursing home where the team visited on the 28th, the common symptoms among patients have been stiff shoulders and lower back pain in addition to chronic fatigue. Although some of the patients had never experienced acupuncture, they said the therapy was so much relief that the improvement was remarkable after getting treated.
At the Wajimaso nursing home where the team offered therapy on the 29th, they were warmly welcomed by its staff members and residents for their long-awaited arrival.
In every facility they visited, what impressed the AMDA therapists was how positively the carers, who were also affected by the disaster, were looking after each resident at the nursing homes. The carers said with a smile that they could strive because they had their work to do.
Even so, the situation around the nursing homes had never been easy. There were times where carers could not go home due to mudslide-induced road blockades. There was also a concern over another heavy rain which could lead to the mass evacuation of elderly residents. As is the case, the AMDA team has been constantly reminded that had it not been for the resilience of those in the local nursing industry, the situation could have been a lot worse. Including the care givers, AMDA's acupuncturists hope to ease the stress of anyone who is withstanding the difficult time, and will continue providing care in the days to come.
Other than noted, the AMDA team also distributed drinking water in Wajima where water outages continued.The feedback towards their work has been good. Anyone who received the treatment has said that it was soothing, and getting such a positive response was a big encouragement for the acupuncturists alike.
The team hopes to contribute by doing what it can to support the community in the post-disaster recovery phase.
- Japan
- 2024
