64 Surgeries Including Cataract and Tumor Removals Performed in 3 Days
724 Patients Treated by Asan Medical Center Volunteer Team
The medical volunteer team from Asan Medical Center in Seoul has provided medical services to local residents in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, through consultations and surgeries.
The medical volunteer team from Asan Medical Center in Seoul departed for Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, for a three-day medical service starting from the 16th of last month. Asan Medical Center
According to Asan Medical Center on July 1, a volunteer team consisting of 10 doctors, 21 nurses, and a total of 39 members visited Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, for three days starting from the 16th of last month. During their stay, they provided medical consultations for 724 local residents and performed a total of 64 surgeries, including cataract surgeries and benign tumor removals.
Kyrgyzstan is a country located in the northeastern part of Central Asia, with about 80% of its land consisting of mountainous terrain. The complex geography makes transportation inconvenient, and the medical environment is also known to be poor. There are no private hospitals at the level of advanced general hospitals in Kyrgyzstan, and national general hospitals have not received investment for a long time, resulting in severely outdated facilities and equipment.
The volunteer team set up a temporary treatment facility at the hospital affiliated with Salymbekov Medical University in Bishkek and conducted 216 blood and urine tests, 160 ultrasound examinations, 148 X-rays, and 120 electrocardiograms. In addition, they performed 33 cataract surgeries, 8 pterygium removal surgeries, 8 secondary cataract treatments, 2 ptosis surgeries, 2 eyelid mass removals, 2 benign tumor removals, and 9 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies.
Most of the patients were suffering from conditions that could be cured with medication or minor surgery, but were unable to receive treatment due to financial difficulties and the poor local medical environment.
Along with treating local residents, the medical volunteer team also worked to improve the medical standards in Kyrgyzstan by sharing advanced medical techniques with local healthcare professionals. The team from Asan Medical Center trained local staff in advanced endoscopic diagnosis and treatment skills using an endoscopy simulator, and gave lectures on interventional procedures and critical care medicine. Local medical professionals observed all aspects of the team's consultations, procedures, and surgeries firsthand, learning their know-how directly.
Jung Hoon Yong, a professor in the Department of Gastroenterology at Asan Medical Center and the leader of the medical volunteer team, said, "Although it was physically demanding to treat residents who had come from afar and had not been able to receive medical care, from early morning until late at night, my heart was full of fulfillment. Watching the passion of local medical students and healthcare workers who were eager to learn even one more thing gave me a precious opportunity to reflect on my original intentions. We will continue to share hope through medical volunteer work, remembering our founding philosophy of helping neighbors in need."
The Asan Medical Center medical volunteer team has been treating residents in areas with poor medical environments under the founding philosophy of the Asan Foundation, which is 'to help the most disadvantaged members of our society.' Since 2009, the team has expanded its volunteer activities overseas, providing medical services in 16 countries, including Indonesia, Cambodia, and Nepal, over 56 missions. After returning from volunteer work, they also run a support program inviting critically ill patients who cannot be treated locally to Asan Medical Center for free treatment.
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