pLOG

2024-09-16

Patientsforce Supports Late-Night Street Medical Services to Heal the Wounds of Those Struggling in Homelessness

There is still a group of people in Taiwan who have health insurance but are afraid to use it to see a doctor. According to the Ministry of the Interior, there are about 3,000 homeless people in urban areas in Taiwan. Nearly half of them once had jobs, but high-risk physical labor and unstable living conditions have left them with many wounds and chronic ailments. Because they worry about facing societal judgment and fear they are wasting public resources, they often avoid seeking medical help.

Sean Chang, Chairman of PatientsForce Healthcare Group, stated that according to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the first goal is "No Poverty." Anyone can fall into poverty for various reasons, and the homeless who wander the streets due to poverty are often excluded from society. Due to the lack of a fixed address and physical residence, even the government's social welfare mechanisms often fail to reach them effectively. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, PatientsForce Healthcare supports social groups instead of sending mooncakes. This year (2024), PatientsForce Healthcare is supporting the Street Medical Service of the Taiwan Si'an Charity Service Association by sponsoring various necessary medical supplies, such as 3M medical stethoscopes, cleansing bath wipes, artificial skin materials, and medical tapes, enabling the association to continue providing medical care for the homeless.

"Every homeless person on the street has an unavoidable reason for 'wandering.'"

Li Yi-Sheng, from the Taiwan Si'an Charity Service Association, mentioned that hundreds of homeless individuals live around Taipei Station, including former business owners, highly educated professors, teachers, public servants, and people from various backgrounds. Over the years of serving the impoverished, the association has found that homeless people who end up on the streets for various reasons often suffer long-term physical and mental exhaustion. They are used to enduring their conditions or lack awareness of their health problems. When their health deteriorates to a point requiring medical intervention, it is often too late to recover. Therefore, the association has gathered a group of passionate young doctors and nurses to form a street medical team each month. Late at night after their regular work hours, they walk the streets to treat the ailments and wounds of the homeless, ensuring their basic medical and survival rights.

Li Yi-Sheng shared that during the pandemic, in compliance with social distancing measures, homeless individuals wore masks almost 24 hours a day. One elderly man, unaware of his condition, had a mask strap nearly cut through his entire ear, with only a small part still connected. He urgently needed medical assistance, a situation commonly seen on city streets, further solidifying the association's determination to bring medical care to the streets.

Believing that healthcare equity should be implemented in every corner of society, 張向昕 expressed hope for more attention to the medical rights of the homeless minority. He also expressed gratitude to the Taiwan Si'an Charity Service Association for organizing medical personnel, treatment venues, and social workers, as well as follow-up care and support. Through the support and assistance of enterprises, we can work together to achieve the SDG goals and ensure that public and private sectors collaborate to provide homeless individuals with dignified medical care.

 

Midnight Street Medical Action: https://fb.watch/uDzpZOJY9R/