232th 文 / 倪百安

Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps (TRMPC) is a non-governmental organization committed to improving the livelihood of people all around the world by providing free medical care and health education. The organization was founded in 1995 by Dr. Chi-Chun Liu and is composed of a team of highly talented medical personnel and passionate volunteers.

On Saturday April 16^th and Sunday April 17^th the organization held activities for indigenous tribes living in the Nantou and Taizhong regions. I was fortunate enough to join the activities and was positioned with three other volunteers to help Dr. Qiu provide dental care. As a recent graduate looking to pursue a career in the medical field this was a unique and invaluable experience.

After a long early morning drive, we reached the village of Cifeng at 9:30 am. Volunteers, Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Chefs, and TRMPC staff unloaded the trucks and prepared to give medical treatment to those indigenous villagers of Cifeng. Our dental care team only saw one patient: a middle aged man with an aching tooth. After a thorough inspection and teeth cleaning, Dr. Qiu recommended a cavity filling. After receiving the patient’s consent, Dr. Qiu provided an anesthetic shot and quickly filled the cavity. Since we only saw one patient there was plenty of time for conversation; I learned that in addition to coffee, tea and soda, soy-sauce is also a major contributor of stained teeth.

The next activity in Hongxiang was genuinely one of the most unique learning experiences of my life. We provided treatment for the entire two and half hours and saw a total of eight patients: two toddlers, three older children, a pair of adolescent sisters, and one mother. All of the children had a variety of problems with their teeth (not surprising since they were all sucking on lollipops just prior to the check-up); however, only two of the children allowed Dr. Qiu to provide the necessary dental care. The youngest toddler (two years old) kicked and screamed for nearly twenty minutes before Dr. Qiu decided to take the matter into his own hands. Dr. Qiu asked the child’s mother to walk away and then gave the child a firm warning; the child was instantly calm and obedient. I realized that if you truly want to help someone it is necessary to be firm at times and not always appease. You also need to recognize when there is a lost cause, as Dr. Qiu did with two of the older unwilling children.

Our next location was Cuiluan. We saw a total of six patients: two children and four adults. Dr. Qiu recommended a tooth pulling for a couple of the patients, but he did not want to do it himself at that time. He is opposed pulling teeth out at night because he doesn’t want the patient to experience any potentially dangerous mishaps during/just prior to sleep.

On our way to Huanshan the road conditions were so terrible that our four-wheel drive SUV was unable to make it up. After a few tries we decided to take an alternate path. We eventually made it to Huanshan (an hour later than expected) and began setting up for the final activity. The dental team saw eight patients, six adults and two children. Everyone received a basic check-up and/or teeth cleaning and one child had a tooth pulled. The child was completely calm and well-behaved the entire time. He was asked several times if he felt any pain and each time replied with a negative. To be able to directly view Dr. Qiu give an anesthetic and pull a tooth was another great learning opportunity.

I can tell you from direct experience that patience, focus and determination are three necessary traits needed to succeed in the health field.