the assignment

The Tzu Chi medical mission came to Tacloban City last October 22, 2015. Comprised of doctors from various fields of expertise, nurses, practitioners of traditional medicine and volunteers from Singapore, Manila and Tacloban, a total of over 5,000 patients were given medical attention in a span of 2-1/2 days.

A planeload of doctors, nurses and staff, all volunteers.

the one-man news crew

the waiting area

words of wisdom

the empty makeshift dental clinic one day before the mission..

cataract screening

prescription glasses for the patients

fuel for the long hours

prepping for the operating room

the pediatric clinic

Acupuncture was a very misunderstood science to many of the locals until they went home without the pain and the numbness.

Daddy’s ponytail.

A surgeon takes a break after many hours at the operating table.

Break time while patients are either being prepped or getting their final stitching.

The crowd outside.

All smiles to start the day right.

The fellowship night, starting with a solemn prayer.

A presentation by the Singaporean Tzu Chi medical team.

And these are the men and women of Tacloban City who worked very hard to make this mission go as smoothly as possible. A big thanks to all the volunteers who contributed to the success of this event.

——

2 weeks have passed since the medical mission ended, and that says a lot about how liberal I have been in taking timeouts.