Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

Volunteers from the Indonesian branch joined with members of the military to hold a free clinic in Makasar and treat 150 patients. It was the foundation’s 66th such free clinic in Indonesia.

The port city of Makasar is the capital of the province of South Sulawesi and has a population of 1.25 million people; it is the largest city on the island of Sulawesi. The residents there are not wealthy. “The average standard of health of people here is very low,” said Colonel Ka. Thamrin Marzuki. “The households are poor. If they have an illness that needs treatment, they have to think about it: even three meals a day is a problem.”

Among the patients was a nine-year-old girl named Windy and her mother; Windy used to have a severe cleft lip and palate, which was corrected at an earlier Tzu Chi clinic. They came to express their thanks.  Some of the elderly patients had cataracts. One male patient, Muhammad David Takdaga, had a mysterious swelling: “at first, it was a small bump, then it became bigger and bigger. I started to feel dizzy and got a headache. I am very grateful to the doctor who performed the surgery.”

A member of the medical team, Elim Paulina Tandireru, said that she was helping the elderly patients arrange the time for their medicines: “if possible, I directly administer the drugs to avoid a mistake.” Other volunteers included a doctor of 75 and a nurse who has three children, including a one-year-old baby, to look after at home. They said that they felt fortunate to be able to help. “I am very grateful for this chance to do good,” said volunteer Li Li Ohnio.