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

Since 11 July 2020, AMDA’s relief team has added new services, namely, acupuncture and bone setting (judo therapy) to its aid work at an evacuation shelter in disaster-hit Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. 

1. Dai-ichi Junior High School (Hitoyoshi City)
Although the advance team completed its rounds on the 10th, AMDA has been continuing to provide assistance considering the prolonged evacuation life. That day, it was decided that the team would start offering acupuncture and judo therapy as part of its relief effort.

11 July 2020:
On the 11th, one therapist started offering the bone setting treatment under stringent precautionary measures against the novel coronavirus infection. In addition to thorough disinfection practices, a length of time allocated for each massage has been restricted to 15 minutes.

At the shelter in which a total of 119 people have been taking refuge (as of the 11th), the therapist saw 10 patients on the first day that complained of symptoms such as body aches and stiff neck. Some of the patients were those who have been taking shelter in their cars.

12 July 2020:
The treatment space for the bone setting was observed by a public hygiene specialist to fulfill a required standard for COVID-19 prevention. The specialist is a doctor and scholar with whom AMDA is well acquainted that has worked as an infection prevention advisor to medical authorities. Currently, a therapist and the patient are required to disinfect their hands three times in total before entering the room and after the end of the treatment. Face masks should be worn at all times, and a bed must be disinfected after every session, with the change of bed sheet and towel being compulsory.

 
Of all seven patients that received the treatment that day, there were some that seemed to have had swelling that stemmed from the lack of exercise or meals at the shelter. And again, a few of the patients were those who were taking refuge in their cars.

There was also one patient who was suspected of some kind of infection as one was suffering from intermittent claudication. Accordingly, the patient was referred to proper medical care later on.

That day, a group of AMDA’s acupuncturists was supposed to be joining the work. However, it was postponed because of the bad weather. The acupuncturists have partaken in AMDA’s relief work ever since a quake disaster hit Kumamoto in 2016.

2. Provision of relief goods (Kumamura)
In the afternoon of the 10th, a truckload of relief supplies delivered by AMDA’s disaster relief partner, Akaiwa City Government (Okayama), arrived in Kumamoto Prefecture. Following its visit to Dai-ichi Junior High School in Hitoyoshi City, the Akaiwa team moved to Sakura Dome in the Kumamura village not far from there. After paying a courtesy visit to the village mayor, the team donated cardboard beds and foodstuffs to the evacuees at the dome.


Although the Akaiwa team completed its mission and headed back home on the 11th, Akaiwa City Government may respond to further inquiries should there be any needs.

(Further updates will follow.)