Buddhist foundation holds outreach programme at Long Urun villages
KUCHING: Tzu Chi Kuching liaison office ( Tzu Chi) and Kelab Cabaran Pacuan 4 Roda Bintulu (4x4) conducted a medical outreach programme at Uma Pawa, Long Urun Belaga on July 21-22.
The Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Malaysia in a press statement said the programme benefitted 793 residents, mainly of Penan and Kenyah communities, from 15 longhouses in Long Urun.
A total of 249 Tzu Chi volunteers and medical professionals from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Penang, Malacca, and Sabah, as well as from various parts of Sarawak, namely Miri, Kapit, Sri Aman, Mukah, Sibu and Kuching, took part in the programme to provide basic health screening, western and traditional Chinese medicine treatments, dental services and health education to the local residents.
Hair lice and deworming treatments were also provided to the local residents, especially the children.
Continuing the good cause of the medical outreach at Pantu Sri Aman in 2017, Tzu Chi once again partnered with the 4x4 Bintulu team this year.
Both teams worked together since the beginning of the year, from the preparatory work of site visit, data collection, liaising with the local residents, to the execution of the programme.
On the actual day of the medical outreach, the 4x4 team transported all volunteers and goods from Bintulu to Long Urun and provided free shuttle services to the local residents, between the long houses and the medical outreach site.
They also assisted in translation, ushering, cooking and haircutting, cooperating seamlessly with Tzu Chi volunteers.
“Helping the poor is one of the main objectives of establishing our club. Our team will try our best to support any charitable causes we are invited to join as long as the conditions allow,” said Kelab Cabaran Pacuan 4 Roda Bintulu chairman Tie Sing Ung, in the statement.
On July 21, the medical services, which were originally scheduled from 8 am to 6 pm, were extended to 10 pm, to accommodate the working hours of the local residents while on July 22, medical services were provided from 8 am to 1 pm.
Among the services provided, dental care received overwhelming response from the local residents.
An acupuncture treatment was also provided to give farmers who suffer from arthritis some relief from their pain.
Besides medical services, Tzu Chi also distributed some 2,500 pieces of second-hand clothing to the rural villagers.