Mar 20th, 2023
Nakonsawan diocese is located at the hilly area of the middle part of Thailand where majority of the inhabitants are indigenous people (IP) from the ethnic tribe Mon.
Most of them don’t have ID card, a legal recognition of their presence in Thailand which gives them access to health care services. Geographically, they are isolated which does not guarantee easy access to public transport which deprived them of the free healthcare services in the lowland.
The health care provider of Nakonsawan diocese had requested to Fr.Rocco Pairat Sriprasert, the person in-charged of the Health Care Pastoral desk of the Catholic Bishop Conference of Thailand (CBCT) and CADIS Thailand, last October 2022.
In response to the request, Fr. Rocco organized the medical mission last February 17-21. This is one of the many planned activities that they have for this year.
In the evening of the 17th of February, the medical team and Fr. Rocco celebrated the Eucharist during the mission sending ceremony at the Church of Mercy invoking the intercessions of Our Lady of Good Health and St. Camillus, the patron saint of health care personnel. The CADIS medical team is composed of fourteen personnel: 2 physicians, 1 pharmacist, 4 nurses, 3 nursing aides, 1 traditional medicine specialist, and 3 staff. They were assisted with 20 volunteers from the diocese.
Early morning of the following day, the team departed for the mission with the Mon IPs of Laolue and Laoneng villages located at Kaoko district, Petchaboon province. While CADIS medical team is doing the clinic, the volunteers of Nakonsawan’s Health Care Provider distributed food to the patients and lively bags to 100 families. They did also hair hygiene therapy to some of the girl students. In the afternoon, the team moved to Kunnamkub village, Bo-Pak, Pitsanulok province to conduct the same activities and distributed lively bags to 240 families. At the end of the day, they treated 125 patients, distributed bags to 340 families and did hair therapy to 20 girl students.
On the second day, they began again the medical mission in Huaynamsai, Nenperm, Nakonthai district, Pitsanulok province. 200 families received the lively bags. In the afternoon, they continued the mission in Phu Hin Long kla. This village is located at the top of the highest mountains which is a forest and wildlife reservation area. The people in this village displayed their unique culture such as hair style, dresses, food and language. These people have Thai citizen ID cards. Here, we distributed lively bags to 100 families. At the end of the second day, the team have visited 141 patients, distributed 300 lively bags and did hair therapy to 40 persons including girl students.
On the third day of the mission, the team moved to Baan-Nam-Kad school of Nabua, Nakonthai district where they have 240 students of the age of 7 to 15 years old (secondary school). The school is located at the top of the mountain of reservation area. In this village, there are only private four-wheeled drive transports. Aside from the students, the teachers and the rest of the inhabitants were served by the medical mission. The school community requested financial support to build a 20 meter concrete road and 10 multi-purpose tables and sports equipments.
In the afternoon, part of the team headed direct to the hilly areas of Na-Sa-Ung village, Wangbal, Lomkao district, Petchaboon province at the Saint Therese Catholic Church. Some villagers from Mankao of Loei province from the other side of Nasaung, joined in the medical mission. The activity was finished in the evening at around 19:30. Solar powered electricity was used and provided by the church. Eighty families received lively bags, 10 to 15 persons received haircut and 100 families received solar powered bulbs. Some of the team members stayed overnight in the mountain while CADIS team stayed at the Mercy Catholic Church of Kaoko district. At the end of the day, 130 patients were visited, 80 lively bags distributed and a budget for the concrete road and school equipments. On the last day, the team celebrated a thanksgiving mass presided by Fr. Rocco Pairat and Fr. Chawin Sangiamkaew, the parish priest .
The medical mission was an initiative of the Medical Health Care service group of the diocese to the mountainous regions of Nakonsawan diocese. The mission was primarily organized by Prof. Orpin Sangsawang, the President of the Catholic Health Care Provider of Nakonsawan diocese with the assistance of Rev.Fr. Paisan Rajchakit, the spiritual director of the Catholic Health Care Provider, Rev. Fr. Chawin Sangiamkaew , the parish priest of Mercy Catholic church and Rev. Fr. Waranyoo Sikon, the head of the Pastoral Center of Huaynamsai area.
Some volunteers donated the items and equipments such as Puanthong Chalermwarangkul and her family who donated 100 solar-bulbs and suits, Wannamat Sirisaowalak donated a set of Electronic Sound Amplifier and Electric Saver to the Catholic Church of Blessed Fr. Nicolas Boonkerd, and Mam and friends who provided the food at Baanhuaynamkad Schoo
The next mission of Medical Mobile Clinic of CADIS Thailand team for the second quarter of 2023 will be at the Annual Gathering of the Catholic Elder Network under the Commission for Catholic Commission for Elder Network Thailand which will be held at Saint Philip & Jacob church of Chanthaburi Diocese on April 28-29, 2023. The target beneficiaries is 1,500 elders representatives from all dioceses of Thailand.
