ASSOCIATION OF
MEDICAL
DOCTORS OF
ASIA

2020
ANNUAL REPORTCOVID-19 ISSUETABLE OF CONTENTSMESSAGE FROM AMDA PRESIDENTCOVID-19 SPECIAL (02)
AMDA’s COVID-19 Response (02)1. Peace Building (08)Emergency Relief (08)Refugee Assistance (16)Post-disaster Assistance (16)
Disaster Response Platform (19)
2. Health Development (20)Primary Health (20)
AMDA GPSP Hospitals (23)
3. Educational Support (25)
4. Livelihood Assistance (30)
AMDA’s GPSP Concept

MESSAGE FROM AMDA PRESIDENT
Over the past year and a half, the humanitarian community
has done its utmost to provide consistent support to citizens
suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Needless to say, AMDA's chapters around the world haveplayed their part and have continued to support the vulnerable
in their local communities. This includes the reconstruction ofpeople’s daily lives that were heavily affected by the disease
outbreak.
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has led to the fragmentation ofhuman relationships in many parts of the world. Althoughsocial distancing and lockdown measures have been rightly
imposed for the containment of the disease, they brought
about a bi-product called “separation” which has put us underimmense stress. But the battle cannot be fought alone. We need to cooperate. In doing
so, AMDA’s vast humanitarian network has the strength to let every stakeholder get
connected to confront the difficult time.
AMDA is always determined to work for the weak by providing grass-root support in themost meaningful way possible. If we are united, I firmly believe that we can deliver help
to those who are fighting to survive day by day.

It is the strength of the civil society that can rally the power of the people to overcome
any challenges that may come our way. It is left to each one of us as to how muchcommitment we make to protect our peaceful daily lives. So, please join me andcollaborate on projects and initiatives in saving our neighbors.
My deepest gratitude for your continued assistance, and wishing you the safety ofyourself and loved ones.

Faithfully yours,

Shigeru Suganami M.D., Ph.D.
President, AMDA

【COVID-19 SPECIAL】
AMDA’s COVID-19 Response
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has wreaked havoc on many facetsof our society which forced people to lose their jobs, experience asignificant drop in their income or face poverty and malnutrition.
Many have lost their loved ones, and medical workers have had torisk themselves in saving the lives of the infected.
As the past has shown, AMDA is one and acts as one in times ofcrisis. Based on the principle of partnership, AMDA has beenutilizing its global network across 32 countries and regions to support those who arewithstanding the test of time by giving a boost to locally-driven humanitarian initiatives.

Afghanistan: “Providing quality medical services amid the
COVID-19 crisis”
AMDA Afghanistan offered free consultation services at its clinic to patients
who could not afford a medical bill which is usually around 150 to 200 afghani per consultation.
In addition, it provided the patients with facial masks, soap and gloves whose prices weresoaring. At the same time, its staff were handing out COVID-19 precaution leaflets issued by
the government, while advising its visitors on personal protective measures to be taken at
home.

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【COVID-19 SPECIAL】
Bolivia: “Keeping trademark activities consistent”“The situation in Bolivia regarding COVID-19 is not very good,” said AMDA
Bolivia’s Ms. Martha Romero who liaises with AMDA Headquarters inJapan on a regular basis. According to Ms. Romero, it is not only because the nation’s
medical sector has had existing problems even before the pandemic struck, but also due tothe national elections which were held in the previous year that caused the increase in thenumber of the infected cases. “The country has just gone through subnational elections andtherefore, people got more relaxed and did not think
about the novel coronavirus which led to anotheroutbreak,” she said.
Meanwhile, the government has begun providing
vaccines to medical personnel for a start, andhopes to inoculate the public in the course of time.
As for AMDA Bolivia’s activities, the chapter has
held its trademark emergency-medicine training
after an eight-month wait. Although it was once put
on hold due to the government restrictions, thechapter is now conducting three training courses
every month.

AMDA Bolivia has been keen to promote
emergency medicine since 1998

Cambodia: “Empowering nursing students to tackle the
COVID crisis”
In November 2020, AMDA Cambodia collaborated with Chenla University
to organize a COVID-themed workshop. The university has one of the leading nursing
schools in the nation. Mainly focusing on the maintenance of mental health under the
pandemic, the event also delved into the new roles of nurses in this realm. It was held bothin person and online in which a total of 100 participants took part (30 students for the former
and 70 students for the latter). Among the guest speakers were officials from the healthministry, public hospitals and academia who shared their expertise on the given topics. Afterthe event, the Cambodian chapter donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to thenursing students. It also provided an automatic disinfectant dispenser along with othermedical supplies to the university.

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【COVID-19 SPECIAL】
India: "Comprehensive assistance in the fight against
COVID-19"
Ever since the first infected case was identified in India in January 2020,
the number of coronavirus patients kept soaring. Lives of many were affected due to thenationwide lockdown which began in late March in which factories, offices and public
transportation services were forced to suspend operations. Although the authorities began
lifting the restrictions in steps in June, people were asked to remain vigilant.
1. Distribution of face masks and disinfectants
In early March 2020 when the case numbers
started rising and advisory for the use of masks,
hand sanitisers and liquid hand-wash were being
called on, AMDA India distributed 50 face masks
and hand sanitizers to labourers who regularly
work in the so-called “danger zones” in Gurgaon
and New Delhi. Along with the mask distribution,
AMDA India Secretary General Dr. Meenakshi
Joshi advised each one of them on how to copewith stressful times ahead, how to keep
themselves safe and how to improve their
hygiene.
The chapter organized another aid distribution after the quarantine measures were eased inJune as many started to return to work. AMDA India procured 1,100 masks and purchased
25 litters of hand sanitizers (80% abv), 15 litters of Dettol liquid hand-wash along with 200
sets of COVID-19 precaution pamphlets.
As AMDA India thinks disposable masks are a burden on resources and does not encourage
the use except for frontline medical workers, it decided to procure handmade cloth-masks toprotect the environment. AMDA India ordered the masks to a group of women in the Nilgiri
Mountains, also considering the fact that this could support the women’s livelihood.
The goods were given to street cleaners, police officers, gas station staff, street vendors,
security guards to name a few. In addition, the supplies were donated to a nursing home thathouses 500 elderly people with mental disabilities or those without anyone to depend on. As
a whole, 1,150 people benefited from the relief.
2. Extending support to a labourer’s family
After the sudden announcement of the lockdown in late March, people were in panic.
Assuming that the quarantine measures would be extended for a long period, labourers
started walking towards nearest bus stops in an attempt to leave cities, with some heading
back to their hometowns on foot.
In one instance, AMDA India Secretary General Dr. Meenakshi Joshi received a call about afamily with two children who got stuck due to exhaustion after walking 55 kilometres from
Delhi. As they had no place to go and required immediate assistance, they wereaccommodated at AMDA India’s office with basic necessities. For about three months, the4

【COVID-19 SPECIAL】
family sought shelter there until the lockdown was eased. Although the daily correspondence
was made by phone to avoid in-person interactions (due to the government’s stringent
quarantine measures), the family managed to cook for themselves with foodstuffs andcooking utensils which AMDA India provided.
3. Offering free webinars for the maintenance of well-being
AMDA India’s Dr. Meenakshi Joshi organized afree webinar series with a focus on how tomaintain one’s well-being in the midst of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Having been an
established Ayurveda specialist, Dr. Meenakshi
shared her expertise in two webinars on topics
such as “how to protect oneself from infectious
diseases” and “how to cope with hay fever in thespring”. In total, 91 people joined the event from
India and Japan. With favourable responses
from the participants, the webinar is expected to continue further.
4. Clothing donation
In time for Diwali, one of India’s largest annual festivities, AMDA India donated 58 pairs ofclothes for children and adults (as well as snacks) to a group of labourers in Gurgaon. The
annual celebration was quiet this year contrary to its usual festive atmosphere. As is the case,
AMDA India asked the group to conduct the donation in a cautious manner by limiting thenumber of people entering the event venue.

Indonesia: “Helping to prevent outbreaks at hospitals”
In Sulawesi where AMDA Indonesia is headquartered, the chapter had
conducted a screening test of visitors at local hospitals since late March
2020. The screening, which was held between 9 AM to 3 PM, saw up to 50 patients per day.
In addition, AMDA Indonesia provided personal protective equipment and sanitizers to
medical facilities, especially at the occurrence of the flash floods that hit Masamba in South
Sulawesi in July.

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【COVID-19 SPECIAL】
Japan: “Personnel deployment to a medical facility
affected by COVID-19”
On 14 December 2020, AMDA Headquarters inOkayama, Japan, sent a relief team to respond to the COVID-19
outbreak ravaging through Hokkaido, the northern part of thenation whose medical system had been pushed to the brink.
Through its contact, AMDA was requested by the Asahikawa City health bureau to dispatch
medical personnel to support local medical facilities that were short-staffed due to theinfectious outbreak. The team was sent to assist a facility for persons with severe motor andintellectual disabilities (SMID). Prior to the relief work, the local municipality and otherorganizations coordinated with AMDA in deciding its work location. Starting on the 15th, AMDA
sent a total of four staff comprising three nurses and one coordinator.

Malaysia: "Networking with healthauthorities"
AMDA Malaysia has been committed to COVID-related dealings mainly
through its secretary Dr. Elizabeth Anthony who also serves as State
Deputy Director of Health in Penang where the chapter is based.
Working for the Malaysian health ministry, she takes charge of all
government-run hospitals in the region and heads the local COVID-19
task force. AMDA Malaysia Chapter Chairperson Dr. Anthony
Balavendrian has also been registered as a health ministry volunteer for Dr. Anthony Balavendrian(AMDA Malaysia)
administering vaccines at immunization campaigns. While the nation
has been handling the pandemic situation well with ample manpower in place, AMDA
Malaysia wishes to act in tandem with the health ministry in supporting its inoculation(
measures. It is also planning to provide mobile clinic services in light of the post-pandemic
period.

Philippines: "Telemedicine, online seminars and item
distribution to help the public and medical facilities"
In the spring of 2020, AMDA Philippines organized a telemedicine initiative to cater to thearising needs for medical consultations at the time when people could not seek help outside
due to the nationwide lockdown. Targeting both the public and medical professionals, thetelemedicine effort later led AMDA Philippines to hold COVID-related webinars, explaining
what the viral infection is and how to cope with it. Also, AMDA Philippines distributed personal
protective equipment and other necessities to medical facilities where disposable medical
items were in high demand.

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【COVID-19 SPECIAL】
Singapore: “Working under the government’s PHPC
scheme”
At MD International Medical Centre which is run by AMDA Singapore, it isproviding primary care services to the citizens under the health ministry’s Public HealthPreparedness Clinic (PHPC) scheme.
The PHPC initiative is aimed at the comprehensive administration of primary-care medical
facilities at the time of public health crises. It is activated to bring the hospitals together
whenever infectious outbreaks (i.e., influenza and anthrax) or imminent health hazards (dueto the climatic haze, etc.) occur. At this time, the authorities have decided to reactivate thescheme, seeing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as a grave threat.
The roles of PHPCAs a PHPC-registered medical clinic, MD International Medical Centre has been engaged in
the following activities:
1. Prescription of medicine (Tamiflu and antibiotics for anthrax etc.)
2. Vaccine administration
3. Medical treatment under the government subsidies (e.g., in accordancewith the authority-driven COVID-19 response)
MD International Medical Centre has been participating in the government’s influenza
subsidy scheme which targets Singaporean citizens and permanent residents. It allows thepatients with all types of respiratory diseases to receive consultations and treatment at thesubsidized rate of 5 to 10 Singaporean dollars.
Likewise, the medical centre has been offering free PCR tests (swabtests) in line with the health ministry’s COVID-19 response. This also
applies to patients with coughs and fever below 38°C.
MD International Medical Centre has always been a keen provider ofprimary care services. They include elderly care and chronic disease
management for maladies such as diabetes and hypertension. Under the
Dr. Don Lau
government’s inoculation programs, it has an excellent track record of(AMDA Singapore)providing immunization against influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia(PCV13/PPSV), human papillomavirus (HPV2/HPV4), hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria andpertussis (Tdap), measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) as well as chickenpox (varicella).
(
By working in tandem with the health ministry and National University Health System (NUHS),MD International Medical Centre hopes to continue offering quality medical services even in
the midst of this difficult time.

71. Peace Building
Emergency Relief
Even when the world is struck by an unprecedented
viral disease, natural disasters do occur. Although there
had been obvious risks for AMDA’s medical relief
teams to be deployed in the midst of the COVID-19
pandemic, they went the extra mile to help those inneed while taking necessary precautions.

Flood disaster in Kyushu, Japan (July)In response to the torrential rain thatstruck the Kyushu region in thesouthern part of Japan on the earlymorning of 4 July 2020, AMDA
dispatched a relief team to Kumamoto
Prefecture severely hit by flooding andlandslides. On the 6th, AMDA’s relief
team comprising one doctor, twonurses and one coordinator left for
Hitoyoshi City in Kumamoto.
After an emergency weather warning
was issued in Kumamoto on the 4th, the overflow of Kuma River had inundated theprefecture’s southern areas, causing extensive damage. For this relief effort, the city
governments of Soja and Akaiwa in Okayama Prefecture also joined forces with the AMDA
team. Both municipalities are AMDA’s official disaster relief partners that have collaborated
on a number of occasions at the time of emergency relief. The joint team worked at Dai-ichi
Junior High School, an evacuation shelter in Hitoyoshi City, and the Sagaramura village,
where the team provided medical consultation services and relief items. One of theinteresting efforts to note was chiropractic and acupuncture services provided by professional
therapists at the said shelter. It was well accepted by the evacuees as a means of fatigue
relief in the midst of their prolonged shelter life. AMDA coordinators also went around eachhousehold to assess the villagers’ health and living conditions upon request from a local
public health nurse.

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1. Peace Building
Flash floods in Masamba, Indonesia (July)In response to flash floods that struck
Masamba in the North Luwu Regency ofSouth Sulawesi on 13 July 2020, AMDA
Indonesia and AMSA UMI (Asian Medical
Students' Association Muslim University
Chapter) sent a joint medical team toorganize three-day relief activities.
As global warming has caused excessive
rainfalls, the water volume in the upperstream of the Rongkon River, which flows
through the region, has gone up to the point
in which the surrounding environment could not withstand. This eventually triggered the flash
floods.
According to the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) as of 15 July, six subdistricts of North Luwu were hit by the floods. A total of 4,202 households (15,994 people)
were affected and 156 households (655 people) were displaced, while 4,930 houses were
submerged and 10 houses were swept away. 213 houses were covered with mud and sand,and the bridges connecting the villages were cut off. The road infrastructure received
significant damage in which roads were buried under four meters of mud pile.
The joint medical team left the provincial capital, Makassar, on the afternoon of the 17th,carrying relief goods such as blankets and disposable diapers along with food items. The
team also brought personal protective equipment to be donated to medical facilities for the
COVID-19 precaution.
On the 18th the following day, the joint team began providing medical assistance and relief
supplies. The team noticed that some of the victims were suffering from trauma after losing
their close members of their communities. They were also under immense stress in fear of arecurrence of the disaster. It was suggested that 1) community-based mental health care,and 2) emotional care for children in the early phase of shelter life, were needed. For thisreason, the team later reported that the deployment of mental health counsellors wasconsidered desirable in fulfilling such needs.

On the same day, the joint team also started distributing personal protective equipment anddisinfectants to local medical facilities including Andi Djemma Hospital and Hikmah Hospital.
As most of major local hospitals had been experiencing difficulties in providing adequate

91. Peace Building
medical services (even at public facilities), the joint team responded by providing financial
support, medical supplies, clothing and blankets.
Super Typhoon Goni (Rolly), Philippines (November)
In response to the super typhoon Goni (Rolly) which
struck the Philippines in early November, AMDA
Philippines and *AMSA Jonelta jointly launchedrelief activities, while another relief effort wasplanned with Catanduanes State University.
(*Asian Medical Students’ Association)
On 7 November, relief items including foodstuffs
such as rice, noodles and canned fish were sentfrom Manila to Catanduanes, an island in thedisaster-hit Bicol region in the eastern part of thePhilippines.
A truck load of relief supplies, which AMDA Philippines and AMSA Jonelta prepared, arrived
at its destination on the following day although ships bound for the island were limited. The
items (which had already been sorted into 263 sets in Manila) were distributed by local
volunteers to target households in Virac, the provincial capital on the southern part of theisland. Thanks to the coordination and assistance by the Municipal Social Welfare andDevelopment Office (MSWDO) and local supporters, 263 households in Barangay Balite
benefited from the aid.
Later on, an additional relief effort was carried out at two more barangays on the island in
response to a request made by AMDAs’ local contact who had collaborated with AMDA in thepast. AMDA Philippines, AMDA Headquarters (Japan) and Catanduanes State University (towhich the said contact person belonged) collaborated on this aid work. On the 15th, the relief
team distributed locally-procured food items such as rice, noodles and canned fish to theresidents of Barangay Calatagan Proper (120 households) and Barangay Calatagan Tibang(130 households) respectively.

Also on the 17th, Catanduanes State University took the central role in distributing food items
and other relief supplies in the local town of San Miguel. The poor road conditions hampered
the original plan of completing the distribution to all target households in one day. The teammanaged to provide the aid to 185 families, however, the rest of the distribution was
conducted in the following week.
On the 27th, relief personnel from Catanduanes State University distributed food supplies to
150 households in Virac’s San Vicente district. The items were purchased locally to help the10

1. Peace Building
regional economy. The relief activities came to completion after delivering aid to 764 families
in total.
Super Typhoon Vamco (Ulysses), Philippines (November)
While AMDA was conducting emergency relief in response to the earlier typhoon Goni (Rolly),
another tropical storm Vamco (Ulysses) made landfall on the island of Luzon. To help theresidents in Cagayan and Isabela Provinces in the north, AMDA Headquarters (Japan),
AMDA Philippines, WiNDS (Women in National Development and Security), AMSA
Philippines and Luzon Crisis Assistance Team (LCAT) made arrangements to launch anotherdisaster relief.

Flood-hit Cagayan

Isabela residents stranded by the flooding

According to the figures announced by NDRRMC on 16 November, approximately 2.07
million people were affected by Vamco as a whole, of which 168,113 were in Cagayan, and164,428 in Isabela.
1. Provision of relief items in Cagayan
In Cagayan, AMDA Philippines, AMSA
Philippines, Luzon Crisis AssistanceTeam (LCAT) and others conducted an
aid distribution drive. Preparation work
had already been carried out by LCAT and
its supporters who engaged themselves inprocurement and packing of relief supplies
such as rice, drinking water and hygienekits. The items were shipped via road on
the 20th and received by the volunteers
from Cagayan State University who
distributed the goods on the following day.
The target beneficiaries were 266 households (two districts) in the town of Penablanca in theprovince.
From the 21st to 22nd, the joint relief team provided relief supplies to 300 households in four
districts of the city of Ilagan and the town of Tumauini. Volunteers from Our Lady of the Pillar
College and Youth in Action took charge of procuring relief goods such as food items andsoap, as well as powder milk and diapers for babies.

111. Peace Building

2. Medical relief and item donation in Cagayan and Isabela
Meanwhile, AMDA Headquarters (Japan) arranged another relief effort with its Filipino
counterpart WiNDS and the Association of the Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines(AMHOP)’s Isabela branch in both Cagayan and Isabela.
On the 28th, AMDA, WiNDS, and AMHOP Isabela jointly organized medical relief and item
distribution in Cagayan. Preparations had already been made on the previous day wheresets of relief goods including foodstuffs, personal hygiene items and buckets were put
together to be provided at the town of Enrile. In the
town’s Marracuru district, the joint team (comprising
about 30 personnel) delivered the items to 197
households, while its doctors and medical staff offered
medical services. Among 97 patients were those whocame to get the medicine for chronic diseases suchas hypertension or diabetes. Some dropped in toreceive treatment for upper respiratory tract infections
and minor wounds. After that, the team moved to theDivisoria district to provide relief supplies to 100
households.
Isabela in the aftermath of the flooding

The team also visited the Annafunan East district in
the city of Tuguegarao in which an evacuation shelter
was set up due to a heavy rainfall that struck the region
again on the day before. Likewise, the team distributed
relief goods to 210 families who were seeking shelter
there. This became the final relief work in Cagayan.
On 30 November, the joint relief team comprising 40
personnel including doctors, nurses and volunteers
visited the town of Tumauini in Isabela to work at
Barangay Fermeldy which was one of the mostaffected districts in the region.
Compared with other communities, the barangay wasdensely populated with 3,000 residents (600 households)
which had made it difficult for aid organizations to provide
sufficient assistance. To respond to such circumstances,
the joint team decided to organize both medical relief anditem distribution.
For the medical relief, patients totalled 268 who were
mostly suffering from respiratory diseases and skininfections. For the item distribution, the team handed over
Medical relief in Marracuru
relief supplies to local government officers, so that they
could be distributed with goods from other aid organizations in the course of time. The relief
items were foodstuffs and hygiene kits for 360 families.

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Hurricanes Eta/Iota, Honduras (November)

The riverside where the evacuees used tolive (Tegucigalpa)

In response to hurricanes Eta and Iota which
wreaked havoc across Honduras, AMDA
Headquarters (Japan) and AMDA Honduras
launched a joint relief effort. According to the
Honduran authorities, the massive tropical storm
affected more than 1.64 million people, forcing
around 10,000 people to flee homes (as of 6
November). The initial inquiry for the team
deployment was directly made by H.E. Mr. Hector
Alejandro Palma Cerna, the Ambassador of the
Republic of Honduras to Japan on 17 November.
AMDA was asked to provide immediate
assistance.

1. Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa, the capital, has been struck by
successive landslides triggered by Iota coupledwith an incessant rainfall at night. The situation
hampered the smooth aid distribution for authorities
and disaster relief organizations. Once necessary
arrangements were made, AMDA Headquarters
and AMDA Honduras went to provide relief supplies
in the city’s three districts. Items including portablecooking stoves were prepared for the planned aid
work.
On 26 November, the joint team delivered relief
supplies to 13 households (40 people) seeking shelter at the city’s Maximiliano Sagastume
Elementary School. The items included powder milk and diapers for babies, and cleaning
equipment.
Most of the evacuees were residing near a local river and their jobs were collecting andselling sand from the sandbank. However, their houses were destroyed by the hurricanes
which forced them to take refuge at the evacuation facility. In addition, roads that were used
to transport the sand were blocked. As the access to the area was literally cut off, local
residents had no means to get income for the time being.
At a shelter in the Villanueva Nuevo district, three families (16 people) benefitted from theitem donation. “We had to evacuate our house as the walls collapsed, but we will do all we
can to rebuild our life. Thanks so much for your timely
assistance,” one aid recipient said.
Likewise, AMDA and AMDA Honduras delivered goods toa nursing home in the Villa Adela district. The facility has
also been a shelter for homeless people who were
evacuated from streets due to COVID-19 or the tropical
cyclones. It also housed drug addicts to undergo
treatment and recovery. At the time of the visit, 10 people
had been accommodated. The team distributed hygiene
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items, cleaning equipment, fever reducers, and anti-diarrhoea medicine to name a few. “Thiskind of help is essential because all of us are staying here for different reasons,” one elderly
resident said.
2. El Paraiso
El Paraiso, where AMDA Honduras has a projectsite, was also devastated by mudslides andflooding. AMDA Honduras was inquired by the vicecity mayor of Trojes in the municipality’s easternarea to provide assistance. Roads to Tegucigalpa
and nearby villages had been partially cut off,making it difficult to procure relief supplies.
Meanwhile, the local disaster response committee
in the northern city of Teupasenti said at least 106
households were affected, forcing some of theresidents to flee homes due to building collapse.

Trojes, El Paraíso (22 November)

From 7 to 8 December, the AMDA-AMDA Honduras relief team carried out an item distribution
effort in the city of Teupasenti in El Paraiso which was devastated by hurricanes Eta and Iota.
On the 7th, the team’s local staff paid a visit to the city’s disaster
response committee to hand over relief supplies containing, a) 50
sets of daily necessities including food items, blankets, and hygiene
goods, and b) 25 sets of baby products such as diapers. For logistics
and coordination, the committee had worked closely with AMDA
since the outset of the tropical storms.
On the 8th, in collaboration with the said committee, the team visited“hard-to-reach” districts such as San Isidro, El Ocotal, and El Chilito
to provide the goods to affected households. From the 9th andonward, the committee took over the aid distribution. After its
completion was announced, AMDA Honduras decided to conclude all of its activities.
Earthquake in Sulawesi, Indonesia (January 2021)
In response to a mag. 6.2 earthquake thatstruck Sulawesi in Indonesia on 15 January
2021, AMDA Indonesia jointly carried out aid
work with Universitas Muslim Indonesia(medical department) and the members ofAsian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA).
On the 17th, a team of 16 aid workers(including four doctors) arrived in hard-hit
Majene to launch medical relief activities.
Protecting themselves from COVID-19 withface masks and face shields, the doctors
started seeing patients, while the rest of the team distributed food items, blankets and baby
diapers. The team continued the aid work on the following day.

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To the villages that are not accessible by car, the staff members entered the areas on foot.
The team walked two kilometres to reach the stranded communities. About 230 households
benefitted from the relief effort. In the local Kabiraan village, a power generator and matswere donated to make up for the broken houses and power outage. The generator was
originally brought in by the team for its aid work but was later handed down to the village forfurther use.
On 29 January 2021, the second medical team, comprising aid workers from AMDA
Indonesia and Universitas Muslim Indonesia (three doctors and nine med-students), wasdispatched to quake-hit Majene and Mamuju Regencies in Sulawesi.
Taking over its predecessor’s work, the team engaged itself in medical activities at local
evacuation shelters. It also provided mental care to those who were persevering through theevacuation life. This time, a group of story tellers organized a story-telling event for children
at a tent set up at the site. The children enjoyed interacting with the performers on stage andgales of laughter helped brighten the mood.
During its week-long mission, the team
distributed relief supplies including foodstuffs,
clothes, medical goods and personal
protective equipment to evacuees besides
providing medical assistance.
On the 28th, the National Disaster
Management Authority (BNPB) said 91,657
people were still forced to remain evacuated.

List of AMDA Emergency Relief Activities in 2020
Month

Case

Country

July
July
NovemberFlood Disaster in Kyushu
Flash Floods in Masamba
Super Typhoon Goni (Rolly)Super Typhoon Vamco(Ulysses)
Hurricanes Eta/Iota
Earthquake in Sulawesi

Japan
Indonesia
Philippines

NovemberNovemberJanuary (2021)

15

Philippines
Honduras
Indonesia

1. Peace Building
Refugee Assistance
Support for Bhutanese refugees in Nepal (1992～2020)
Ethnic strife in Bhutan in the 1990s triggered the influx of
Nepali-Bhutanese refugees to Nepal. Since 1992, AMDA
Nepal started providing medical assistance to the
refugees seeking shelter in the country’s evacuation
camps. AMDA Damak Hospital played a central role inthis project, followed by UNHCR’s involvement in which
the organization officially commissioned the hospital toundertake this work as full-scale refugee assistance.
Currently, AMDA Damak Hospital has been providing
primary health care services at a medical post which thehospital established in each refugee camp. The assistance for the Bhutanese refugees came
to completion in December 2020.
■Participating organizations: AMDA Nepal, UNHCR

Post-disaster Assistance
The Great East Japan Earthquake (2011～)

On 11 March 2011, an earthquake of unprecedented scale (mag.9.0) followed by thedeadliest tsunami wiped out the eastern part of Japan, resulting in 15,800 deaths with over
2,500 people missing. AMDA launched emergency relief in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture one
day after the quake struck. Throughout the relief, AMDA sent 149 personnel to various
locations. The emergency relief went on until the end of April followed by various postdisaster assistance. In recent years, the affected areas have been going through atransitional phase in which people started to move out of make-shift residences to council
housing or newly-built houses. The imminent issue is how to rebuild local communities whose
populations are dwindling.

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1. Peace Building
1. AMDA Health Support Center in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture
The population has been constantly declining in thelocality where AMDA Health Support Center isbased. After the quake struck in 2011, it fell from15,000 to 11,570 in the fiscal 2020. In addition to
the regular acupuncture treatment, the center
offers light exercises to its patients after the therapy.
The twice-monthly weaving and woodcraft
workshops have been continued. The students areconstantly improving their skills, so much so that some of them started selling their works.
Although the cooking class was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allactivities at the facility have been conducted with appropriate social distancing measures inplace.
2. Support for the homeless in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
AMDA has been supporting a local NGO in the city of Sendai in
Miyagi Prefecture that offers meals to the homeless who havebeen forced to live on the streets after the 2011 quake disaster.
In 2020, the number of homeless people increased due to
COVID-19 which caused job losses. In Sendai alone, it is said
there are more than 100 people who have no place to live. The
NGO is extending comprehensive support to the homeless byoffering consultation services, providing free meals and runninga soup kitchen. The NGO volunteers are going around the city on a regular basis to hand out
daily supplies and encouraging the houseless persons to use its services.
Though the soup kitchen usually offers freshly cooked dishes, packed meals were provided
instead in 2020 to avoid the infectious risks. As social distancing measures are in place, thevisitors were tasked to take their temperatures and wash their hands prior to receiving themeals. For those who could not get the food, underwear (donated by Japan’s leading
garment manufacturer Gunze) and other necessities were provided. AMDA is helping thesoup kitchen by donating rice grown in Okayama and ready-to-eat instant rice packets.
3. Online event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan
Earthquake

In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, AMDA
organized an online event with people involved in the relevant projects. The event lookedback on the decade of activities conducted by the AMDA partners, with each reporting their17

1. Peace Building
recent efforts. After stressing that “the wisdom is born of the lessons and experiences of
those who went through hardships”, AMDA President Dr. Suganami said, “We will continue
our humanitarian activities with a spirit of mutual assistance.” Thanking everyone for their
hard work, he also made new proposals such as creating an online shopping scheme to selllocal products. He also mentioned that the collaboration with local medical facilities andbusinesses would bolster the Nankai Trough disaster response strategies.
■Participating organizations: AMDA Headquarters, AMDA Otsuchi Health Support Center,
Gourmet F1 Organizing Committee, NGO “Tsudoi”, NGO “Sendai Yomawari Group”,
Okayama Co-op etc.
Supporting orphans in Haiti (2019～)
AMDA Haiti has been working with World Child House Project tosupport three orphanages in Haiti by donating foodstuffs. All of
the facilities have been faced with a lack of food supplies due tothe nation’s political and economic stalemate (partiallystemming from the 2010 earthquake). Malnutrition has been themost pressing issue at the children’s homes for some time. Asof now, a vegetable-garden project has also been carried out at
one of the facilities with the aim of complementing foodshortages.
■Participating organizations: AMDA Haiti, World Child House Project
Making “disaster-resilient” crops in Honduras (2020～)
As part of disaster reconstruction assistance in theaftermath of hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras (see the“Emergency Relief” section), AMDA Honduras and local
partners repaired a school roof at a primary school in the
Saladino district of Teupasenti Municipality, El Paraiso
which was hit hard by the hurricanes. Discussions were
held with concerned parties such as local healthbureau/committee and carpenters for further repair work.
Meanwhile, agricultural consultation was organized in February 2021 at the Agua Caliente
village in Taxiguat Municipality for farmers whose harvest was totally ruined by the calamities.
As the area had originally produced a limited variety of crops for its arid climate, this hadjeopardized the food procurement for the villagers in the wake of the cyclones. Hence, theconsultation was aimed at not only restoring the farmland, but also advising the farmers on
how to grow different types of farm produce which are resistant to certain climate conditions.
With 65 farmers participating, the farmland restoration began inaccordance with a six-month plan. The participants had earlier
received the explanation on how this initiative helps produce theresilient fields for their food security and how important it is to carefor the trees and respect the crop diversity. Since March, theproject entered a new phase in which the farmers started planting
seeds and seedlings after their own fields were cultivated.
18

1. Peace Building

Disaster Response Platform

What is the Great Nankai Trough Crisis?
The Japanese government predicts that an
earthquake of immeasurable scale will strike Japan
along the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years. It
is predicted that the quake will cause a massive
tsunami that could devastate the extensive coastline
along the Pacific Ocean from Shizuoka to Miyazaki
Prefectures (throughout central to west Japan). The
death toll is estimated to top 300,000 with 2 million
buildings being destroyed. AMDA established acomprehensive counter-disaster scheme, “AMDA
Platform for Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster
Strategy” to prepare for this foreseen crisis. With theultimate aim of being fully prepared for this calamity,
the platform enables local governments, medical
institutions, private corporations and NGOs tocollaborate in a swift manner upon the occurrence ofthe disaster.

19

AMDA Platform for Nankai TroughEarthquake Disaster Strategy
AMDA is focusing on the Shikoku region(Kochi and Tokushima in particular) given
that, 1) the access to these areas will bedifficult once the disaster strikes, and 2)
aid assistance is expected to concentrate
in major cities such as Osaka andNagoya. By enhancing interactions
betweenaid
organizations,
local
governments and medical institutions,
AMDA Platform for Nankai TroughEarthquake Disaster Strategy enables
timely and coherent disaster response in
the remote areas.

2. Health Development
Primary Health
AMDA Peace Clinic in Bodhgaya, India
Established in 2009, AMDA Peace Clinic (APC) in
Bodhgaya, Bihar, has contributed to the local
community health development. The clinic has
been especially focusing on maternal and infant
health care since 2014.
The year 2020 was especially a challenging year for
APC. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown measures by
the Indian government from the end of March toearly June, it was closed for three months for the
first time since its opening. Even in the midst ofsuch circumstances, the clinic continued to provide care to women in every way possible.
Meanwhile, the regional economy was also hit hard by the pandemic which affected thelivelihood of mothers and mothers-to-be who regularly visit the clinic. To help these womenand their families, APC carried out food distribution efforts.
In the city where many of the local people earn their living through tourism and constructionrelated businesses, a lack of tourists and city blockades affected their household income sogravely. Because of this, the poor could not afford enough food. After taking thoroughprecautions against the infection, APC began providing food aid to its users who were inneed of daily food supplies.
As for the monthly maternal health checkups, they
had to be conducted at a local doctor’s office during
APC’s closure. But after the lockdown was lifted, thecheckups were resumed at APC once again.
Although some of its regular services (healtheducation for mothers, nutrition program and homevisit etc.) were suspended, APC responded to
women’s inquiries by phone and other means. A
total number of APC’s beneficiaries in 2020 wasaround 360 (cumulative total).
■Participating organizations: AMDA Headquarters (Japan), AMDA Peace Clinic
AMDA Cambodia’s health education program for youth
In cooperation with the Provincial Health Department ofTbong Khmom, AMDA Cambodia organizes a workshop on
HIV/AIDS at the Center for Peer to Peer Educators. Aiming topromote HIV/AIDS prevention, the effort is realized through a
network of peer educators and those who are living with thedisease since August 2005. Up until now, AMDA Cambodia
organized relevant forums with concerned parties such as
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STDs,

20

2. Health Development
Chenla University Nursing School as well as provincial authorities.
AMDA Cambodia has also run a soccer club to encourage youths to take part in sport
activities. The soccer club helps divert the youngsters from falling victim to drugs, violenceand other criminal activities. For the last couple of years, Chenla University has been
supporting the club. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire program was suspended in
2020.
■Participating organizations: Yamaichi Kanko (Japan), AMDA Cambodia, AMDA
Headquarters (Japan)
School health initiative in Rwanda
Since 2016, AMDA has been sending a group of Japanese
doctors to Rwanda to pass on their expertise in pediatrics
and transfer Japan’s school medical-checkup system. (Theproject used to be organized as part of Okayama
Prefectural Government’s International Contribution Projectfor Local-to-Local Technical Transfer initiative.) Up until now,
doctors have been dispatched to Kigali, and to the nation’s
western regions. At Umuco Mwiza School, Japanese
doctors have conducted medical checkups on students, anddiscussed with local medical practitioners, teachers, as well as children and their parents
how pediatrics can be improved nationwide. A Fukushima-based NGO, Think About
Education in Rwanda, has been partnering with AMDA on the project.
For 2020, although schools were temporarilyclosed due to COVID-19, the local staff
continued their activities mainly at Umuco
Mwiza School in Kigali in the most practicalway possible. During this time, children’s healthmonitoring was also carried out in the Miyove
village (Gicumbi District) in the north.
At Umuco Mwiza School, its school nurse tookcharge of instructing students on washinghands and social distancing. She was also incharge of the morning body temperature screening for all students and staff at the school
entrance. It was greatly appreciated by the faculty members in their busiest morning hours.
The nurse also launched a school infirmary service, while conducting lectures on
reproductive health.
■Participating organizations: AMDA Headquarters (Japan),Think About Education in Rwanda, Okayama University,
Nagasaki University“AMDA started promoting the well-beingof Rwandan children long before COVID19 struck”

21

2. Health Development
Endoscopy training in Nepal
AMDA's technical transfer program on endoscopy in Nepal dates back to 2016 when an
endoscopist from AMDA Damak Hospital received three-month training at Okayama
Saiseikai General Hospital in Japan. It was held as part of Okayama Prefectural
Government’s International Contribution Project for Local-to-Local Technical Transfer
initiative. This has led to frequent exchanges between Japan and Nepal. In 2018 and 2019,
AMDA's endoscopy expert Dr. Takushi Sato was sent to AMDA Damak Hospital to provide
technical guidance on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and diagnosis of lesions.
The plan for 2020 was put off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, an online meeting
was held with concerned parties on 14 February 2021.

Dr. Diwash, who received the training in Japan in 2016, reported on the current status of
AMDA Damak Hospital. According to the doctor, the hospital has become a prominent
institution for its endoscopy services in the region in which 355 endoscopies were performed
in 2020. The cases included gastritis, esophagitis, gastric ulcers, esophageal varices,
duodenal ulcers, and cancer.
Dr. Sato commended Dr. Diwash for successfully handling his work and gave technicalguidance and instructions remotely during the web conference. The hospital is hoping for theearliest resumption of in-person endoscopy training after the COVID situation is contained.
Support for children with Down syndrome
AMDA Bangladesh Director Mr. Sarder A. Razzak has
been supporting the children with Down syndrome andtheir parents for the last 10 years. This eventually led him
to establish Down Syndrome Society of Bangladesh(DSSB). Its activities have grown into a national
movement, followed by international accreditation inwhich his project was officially certified by aninternational body specializing in this field. The society isalso conducting elementary vocational training for thechildren to experience the joy of self-realization.
■Participating organizations: Down Syndrome Society of Bangladesh (DSSB), AMDA
Bangladesh22

2. Health Development
Annual dental mission in Haiti
On 27 February 2021, AMDA Haiti held its annual dental checkup at
Bethel Clinic, a Salvation Army hospital, in Fonds-des-Nègres, Haiti.
Three staff members (two dentists and a nurse) including AMDA Haiti
Chapter Chairperson Dr. Mac Keven Frederic saw 48 patients in total.
Some of them were found to have caries and gum disease whileothers had there tooth extracted. "We did what we could in spite of
the COVID-19 situation,” Dr. Frederic said.

AMDA GPSP Hospitals
Japan Afghanistan Friendship Hospital (Afghanistan)
Headed by its chairperson and six other board members,
AMDA Afghanistan has been running Japan Afghanistan
Friendship Hospital in Kabul since 2011. The facility has
contributed to providing quality medical services to theimpoverished communities in the locality, while sending its
doctors to Japan for professional training.

Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital (Bangladesh)
Located in central Dhaka, Japan Bangladesh
Friendship Hospital (JBFH) is currently one of
Dhaka's leading hospitals with a capacity of 100 beds.
With AMDA President Dr. Suganami’s support, JBFH
was founded in 1993 by the country’s pioneer
laparoscopic surgeon Dr. Sarder A. Nayeem (wholater established AMDA Bangladesh) and pain
specialist Dr. Jonaid Shafiq. Ever since, the hospitalhas been catering to a wide range of medical needs.
Japan Mongolia Friendship Hospital (Mongolia)
Established in August 2012, Japan Mongolia
Friendship Hospital (JMFH) is the latest addition to thelist of AMDA hospitals around the globe. While general
medicine makes up 90% of medical needs at JMFH, italso runs a children’s nursery in the same building. In
the near future, the hospital is expected to function asa medical hub for local residents where, for instance,
pregnant mothers can drop in for a prenatal healthcheckup or for children’s vaccination. There is also aplan to have young doctors from Mongolian National
University of Medical Sciences (MNUMS) stationed at the hospital for their practical training.

23

2. Health Development
AMDA Damak Hospital (Nepal)
AMDA Damak Hospital is a 75-bedded general hospitalestablished in 1992 with the help of AMDA International
and the Damak Municipality. In 1995, it became an
implementing partner of UNHCR, and has served as a
primary referral hospital for both local people andBhutanese refugees in Nepal. AMDA Damak Hospital is
now a popular hospital in the country’s eastern region. The
hospital provides services pertaining to anaesthesiology, general medicine, surgery,obstetrics/gynaecology, radiology, paediatrics, ENT, dentistry, orthopaedics and others. It
also accepts medical students from different countries to offer learning opportunities.
Siddhartha Children and Women’s Hospital (Nepal)
Siddhartha Children and Women’s Hospital is a
100-bedded specialty hospital for women andchildren. It is closely located to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. (The name “Siddhartha” ishis childhood name.) AMDA Nepal set up this
hospital after signing a partnership agreement with
the Lumbini Municipal Government and the local
chamber of commerce. The hospital also offers
non-profit-based health care. The main hospitalbuilding was constructed with Japan’s financial
assistance.
AMDA Mechi Hospital (Nepal)
Located in the southeast of Nepal, AMDA Mechi
Hospital was built on a land donated by a noble
family who wished for better medical infrastructurein the region. The Embassy of Japan in Nepal anda few other donors also provided support. Now,
AMDA Nepal is running the facility as a general
hospital with a 15-bed capacity. The hospital iscurrently offering academic training for medical
practitioners as well.

“AMDA hospitals are always committed to providing quality medical services to local communities.”24

3. Educational Support
Educational Support
AMDA Middle and High School Students ClubFounded in 1995 at AMDA Headquarters in Japan, AMDA Middle and High School Students
Club is a student group that carries out a range of activities which include street fundraisingand peace building programs both at home and abroad. The group holds a monthly meeting
to discuss topics such as international cooperation and disaster prevention. Its members
consist of secondary school students from Okayama and its neighbouring areas. In 2020,
university students (including the former club members) established a college-student bodyto expand the activities.
1. Online exchange event with Bangladeshi students

Although most of the regular meetings in 2020 were held online due to the COVID-19
pandemic, the club managed to have a remote exchange event with Bangladeshi students
entitled “Online Forum for World Peace from Bangladesh and Japan”. Aiming at promoting
peace, the event provided a meaningful opportunity for the students in knowing both nations’countermeasures against natural disasters. At the same time, students from both countries
learned that although there are cultural, historical and geographical differences, it is auniversal value to pay respect to each other and to hope for the realization of peaceful world.
2. Annual exchange meeting with students in Kochi, Japan

Since 2017, the club has held an annual exchange meeting with junior high school and highschool students from Kuroshio Town in Kochi, Japan. To prevent the COVID-19 infections,the meeting this year was held online which is usually held in person. In light of frequent
natural calamities, the main topic was about disaster prevention.
25

3. Educational Support

The meeting was attended by those who served in humanitarian activities including a nurse
who participated in AMDA’s 2020 Kumamoto flood-disaster relief. She stressed the need forjunior and senior high school students to think voluntarily about precautionary measures on
their own. In this regard, students from Kochi reported on their respective activities. It is
hoped that all participants will continue to exchange ideas face to face, or through social
networking sites and other means.
AMDA President to hold online meeting with AMSA JapanOn 29 September, AMDA President Dr. Shigeru Suganami held an online meeting with themembers of AMSA Japan to explain what prompted him to establish AMSA, an associationof Asian medical students, in the days of his youth.
AMSA (Asian Medical Students’ Association) is anorganization of medical students founded by Dr.
Suganami and his allies in 1980 with the aim of uplifting
health and medicine in the Asia region.
The meeting began by an icebreaker, followed by Dr.
Suganami’s story of the dawn of the student body. In
the late 60s, he set off to explore the world after taking
a year-leave from university. At age 22, he backpacked
across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar,
India, Pakistan, Iran, Kuwait and Laos to see the reality of medicine in each of his destinations.
“This first-hand experience has formulated emergency relief and other activities of AMDA,”
he said. He shared his unique views which were nurtured in his four decades of career in thehumanitarian sector.
Filled with Dr. Suganami’s enthusiasm, a 90-minute meeting ended fervently. “I could feelthat everybody was engrossed in Dr. Suganami’s stories. The fact that he asked questions
to the audience during his talk made it more enjoyable,” AMSA Japan President Mr. Hideaki
Miyai said. “Zoom (an online meeting platform) brought us much closer, and that was rather
nice,” he commented.
Kodomo Shokudo Support Platform
Literally translated as “children’s cafeteria”, kodomo
shokudo is a voluntary-run canteen that offers nutritional
meals at a reasonable cost for economically-challenged
children in Japan. While similar facilities have been set up
around the nation to tackle poverty, AMDA has been
donating funds and food items to a few canteens in thesuburbs of Okayama, Japan, since December 2017.
In Okayama alone, it is said that there are 40 or so
facilities that are established for similar purposes. Asidefrom providing food items and funds, AMDA is organizing excursions and volunteering
activities for children and their parents to support children’s healthy growth.

26

3. Educational Support

However, COVID-19 had a tremendous effect on
the operation of the facilities. A staff who works forone of the cafeterias said, “We had no choice but
to suspend our usual service. Instead of making
meals for our users, we ask them to come and pickup foodstuffs at the door.” In getting over thecurrent crisis, all of the cafeterias have been using
ingenuity to support people in need.
As part of the assistance, AMDA also donated children’s underwear to two cafeterias to be
distributed to the users’ families. The donation was realized thanks to Japan’s leading
garment manufacturer Gunze which has been an avid supporter of AMDA’s activities. The
company has made similar contributions in the past in which it supplied its products to poorfamilies in India as well as to the natural disaster victims in Japan.
Suganami Scholarship
For many years, AMDA has supported students inchallenging situations. Until now, beneficiaries of AMDA’s
scholarship programs have been mainly those who wish to
pursue a medical career. In the GPSP framework, AMDA
encourages its international chapters and concerned parties
to establish their own scholarship programs.
Suganami Scholarship was originally established in 2004
for capable young medical and nursing students around theworld who are in need of financial assistance. Later on, thescholarship started to include students who wish to choose
non-medical professions as well.

Dr. Suganami and Suganami
Scholarship recipients

In Mongolia, the scholarship has been given to students at Mongolian National University of
Medical Sciences (MNUMS) since 2009. Up until 2019, a total of 4,169,716 JPY has been
provided to promising medical students who are in need of financial assistance.
Student internship

Every year, AMDA Headquarters in Japan accepts student interns to let them experience
what it is like to work at a humanitarian NGO. The interns are often asked to take part invarious events aside from clerical work at the office. In 2020, two college students, Miss Saki
Michihiro (left) and Miss Aiko Shinomiya (right), spent over a month engaging themselves in27

3. Educational Support
AMDA’s daily wok. Although telecommuting was necessary in some instances because of
the COVID-19 pandemic, both worked hard to promote AMDA’s activities through making
pamphlets, participating in an exhibition or posting articles on social media sites.
AMDA Award presented to students in Bodhgaya, India
On 25 December 2020, AMDA Award waspresented to 10 students from Bodhgaya’s
Jeanamitabh Free Boarding School in Bihar which
is known to be India’s most impoverished state. The
school houses around 120 children frommarginalized
communities
whose
averagehousehold income is said to be 4,000 to 5,000
rupees per month.
This time, five Award committee members,
comprising the school secretary general, board
member, headmaster and local Rotarians, awarded
each winner a trophy and 500-rupee bursary. The recipients will make use of the sum forpurchasing stationery and other school items.
“We chose 10 best students from twelfth grade,the final grade, who are from poor communities.
They not only excel academically but also attend
classes very seriously, both of which are what it
takes to be model students. The children
themselves are very happy to receive the award
and I am sure it was a huge encouragement forthem. As of now, every child from pre-school age
to fifth grade in primary school has been forced to learn at home due to COVID-19. In our
school, we try to cater to their educational needs by offering online classes, or mobile lectures
where we actually get to visit their neighborhood and provide inperson lessons. Whereas, children from sixth grade to twelfth
grade have been allowed to come to school and take regularclasses for the time being. For the award winners, I want themto continue working hard to achieve their goals even thoughtimes are tough,” Jeanamitabh School Secretary General Mr.
Anand Vikram said.
AMDA first collaborated with the school in 2018 when it carriedout a clothing distribution effort to provide used garments to local
people in Bodhgaya. In addition, Mr. Vikram introduced AMDA
to Bodhgaya Rotary Club at the time of helmet donation drives
in 2018 and 2019 which were held as part of its local road safety
initiative. All of such tie-ups led to launching AMDA Award in
helping the students who are working hard amid the COVID-19
crisis.

28

3. Educational Support【Letter from an AMDA Award winner】“I hope that you are all happy in your county with your family. I study at Jeanamitabh Free
Boarding School since my childhood from class one to tenth and now I am in twelfth class at
Sanjay Singh Yadav College. Without the help from Jeanamitabh Free Boarding School, it
was very difficult for me to attend the college since my family income is low. I am really happy
that I got this chance to be part of this beautiful school.
I feel proud to receive this AMDA award. With your 500-rupee bursary, I went and purchased
an examination book. I want to be an air hostess in the future. Thank you very much. I wait
for your visit to our boarding school to welcome you. Until then, please stay safe.”29

4. Livelihood AssistanceLivelihood Assistance
Organic farming: AMDA Malino Farm (Indonesia)

Although the daily tally of the COVID-19 cases had been skyrocketing in Indonesia
throughout 2020, AMDA Malino Farm in Sulawesi remained strong in producing organic
agricultural produce. The farm endured the first year of growing crops in the face of the novel
coronavirus, and the production and sales of its traditionally-grown red rice, which thefarmers have been keenly cultivating for the last few years, have finally started to take off.
Seeing the growth in its sales, several new farmers are expected to join the project in 2021.
While the project had to maneuver its way at the beginning of the infectious outbreak, thecommunication between AMDA Headquarters in Japanand the Malino farm had been interrupted between themonths of August and December 2020. Even though thesituations were tough, the local farmers in Malino had done
their best to take care of their fields and kept their work
going humbly and thoroughly. The activity records being
kept from January 2021 and onward simply prove the factthat the project administration has been back on the righttrack ever since.
The 2nd Vietnam-Japan International Symposium
Medical Platform for the Global Community(AMDA’s affiliated organization) urgently held asymposium on 29 March 2021 to extend
support to a number of Vietnamese interns inJapan who had lost their jobs and fell into
economic hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The event was second of its kind which was
aimed at discussing issues and topics
surrounding Vietnamese trainees. As a result, all 41 participants from various local sectors
unanimously agreed to support the interns persevering through a difficult time. The initial
symposium was held in February 2019 to discuss treatment surrounding Vietnamese interns
whose right and dignity as workers have often been questioned.

30

AMDA’s GPSP Concept

Livelihood
Assistance

In 2014, AMDA established a concept ofglobal network named, “Global Partnershipfor Sustainable Peace” (GPSP). The aim of
this network is coexistence of diversity
which is virtually indispensable for world
peace. Under this concept, programs havebeen developed beyond borders with thephilosophy of Open Sogo-Fujo (whichliterally means “mutual support/help” inJapanese), the universal value of the 21st
century, as its main theme. The framework
consists of four fields of activities, namely,1) peace building, 2) health development, 3)
educational support, and 4) livelihood
assistance.

AMDA defines peace as “today’s family life with hope for a better tomorrow.” “Today’s familylife” symbolizes a healthy family condition where one has sufficient food to maintain a decent
living. The phrase, “hope for a better tomorrow” points to providing education to children.
The said four fields of GPSP activities have been set to abate conflict, disaster, and poverty,
all of which are considered hindrances to realizing peace.
By involving governments, local public authorities, public interest groups, corporate
enterprises, and academia, AMDA hopes to enlighten the world with the concept of Open
Sogo-Fujo to realize coexistence of diversity. This is the end goal of Global Partnership for
Sustainable Peace.

GPSP’s three core values
1. Partnership: the natural feeling of mutual trust and respectattained through working together to overcome difficulties
2. Open Sogo-Fujo: expanding the concept of Sogo-Fujo (mutual
assistance) into a universal value. It promotes mutual
assistance across and beyond one’s own community,
regardless of race, religion or culture
3. Local Initiative: maintaining the utmost respect for each andevery community’s values and culture
Sogo-Fujo is a cycle of giving and receiving, a traditional value deeply rooted in theJapanese close-knit community life.

International Network of 32 chapters and over 100 collaboratingorganizations around the world

AMDA International Chapters
Afghanistan

Indonesia

SerbiaAlbania

Kazakhstan

Singapore

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Korea

Sri Lanka

Bangladesh

KosovoSudan

Bolivia

Malaysia

TaiwanCambodia

Mongolia

UgandaCanadaNepal

Vietnam

Colombia

New ZealandZambiaGuyanaPakistan

Haiti

Peru

HondurasPhilippines

India

Sakha Republic

AMDA Group (Japan)
AMDA MINDS, AMDA International Medical Information Center, AMDA Organization for Global
Assistance and Relief, AMDA Hyogo, AMDA Okinawa
Chapter, AMDA Kanagawa Chapter, AMDA Kamakura Club, AMDA Kochi Club,
AMDA Fukuyama Club, AMDA Tamano Club, AMDA Otsuchi Club, AMDA Kobe
Women's University Club, AMDA Takehara Club, AMDA Middle and High School Students Club

Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA)
3-31-1 Ifukuchou, Kitaku, Okayama City, Okayama
700-0013 Japan
Tel: +81-86-252-6051/ Fax: +81-86-252-7717
https://en.amda.or.jp/
amda_info1984@amdainternational.com