Medical Outreach

Dear Rev Fathers, Brothers and Sisters at OLPS, in the Partners in the Gospel and at Asrama Tarsisius in Tanjung Pinang

I wish to let you know that we arrived back at OLPS at around 7.30 pm this evening from our trip to Rempang safely and with a sense of accomplishment.

25 of us went and were given medical support from 15 doctors, dentist, nurses, religious and lay people from the Catholic Medical Guild in Singapore and from the St Elizabeth Hospital in Batam. The Parish of Tembesi, Maria Bunda Pembantu Abadi (Our Lady of Perpetual Help), who has been given the responsibility of the Asrama Santa Theresia in Rempang, extended a very warm welcome to us after Mass on Sunday.

The medical support which enabled us to treat the children at the Asrama and at the Santa Ignatius School, was timely as the skin diseases (mainly scabies) had already begun to spread to many of the children since our last visit in Nov last year, when the problem was first identified. The dental treatment given by the medical team will also arrest the spread of cavities in the children for the time being.

During our stay, our Team served as the hands and feet of the Sisters from the Jesus Mary Joseph Order who arrived in February to manage the Asrama, helping them with the housekeeping, such as clearing the rubbish and choked toilets (a humbling experience), cutting grass, leveling the grounds, all to ensure safety for the children when they run around the Asrama.

There is more work to be done from here on as there are 70 children living in 2 dormitories built for 50 and 30 more children are expected to join in the second half of this year. But our priority now is to pray for the healing and health of the children currently there.

On behalf of the Team I would like to thank you for all your prayers which have made the trip possible.

May God be Praised!


Carol
On behalf of the Rempang Mission Outreach Team 2007