Puls UM

The Medical Inquirer – Student Newspaper
Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps (TRMPC)
On 2008.09.06-07 and 2009.07.11-12, I joined TRMPC to support medical help in a remote mountain in Taiwan,
Hsinchu County - Jianshih Township. It was my first and second time being a medical volunteer.
The volunteers are not only medical people such as doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, but also from other works. So
medical people provide medical supply, others do driving, cooking, assisting, etc.
I was assigned to a dentist group to be a dental assistant. We don’t have good equipment like we are using in the clinic,
only simple and crude stuff. It’s really a nice experience to practice in a different way. In such remote village place, we
cannot give them X-ray or spending long-time on treatments. We have to learn how to make a proper and quick treatment
for these people. Most cases we can only do simple caries filling, scaling, tooth extraction, medicine, etc. Endo treatment
or dental surgery procedure is impossible.
The second time I was being there just after my 3rd year study. I’m happy I have conservative practice in our school
already. In Taiwan medical university, they only can treat patient at the last 6th year. When the dentist asked me what
I’ve learned and what I can do for a patient, I said I can do the work. So at that time, I have my first patient with caries
filling in Taiwan.
There are so many interesting stories during these times, but let me introduce this great organization first! Please visit
http://www.taiwanroot.org/ where you can find the following information online.
Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps (TRMPC) is a private, non-sectarian, non-profit organization dedicated to improving
quality of life through provision of medical services and health education. Founded in 1995, by the vision of Dr.
Chi-Chun Liu, TRMPC joined talented medical personnel with enthusiastic volunteers to form a medical service group.
By providing primary health care and disseminating health information, Taiwan Root offers temporary relief as well as
builds foundations for sustainable
health care systems in
the future. TRMPC believes
that medical service should
transcend national borders
and exceed the limitations of
politics, race, and religion. It
holds as its end goal a united
international community working
in cooperation to bring
about equitable access of healthcare
to all populations.
Where TRMPC Works
Initially, TRMPC focused on bringing medical care to indigenous populations inhabiting remote mountain areas
of Taiwan. These communities, troubled by increasing problems of poverty, alcoholism, and teenage prostitution, have
a much lower standard of living than the rest of the island. Poor transportation further marginalizes the population and
hinders ready access to medical services. TRMPC has conducted more than 80 domestic medical service trips.
In 1998, TRMPC extended its services to populations in developing nations. Since then, TRMPC has provided free
medical care to isolated populations, served in refugee camps, and treated victims of natural disasters. Included in the
areas served by Taiwan Root are Bolivia, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Macedonia, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Swaziland,
and Sikkam.
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