It is the end of each year that long-distance fishing fleets of Cianjhen Fishing Port in Kaohsiung catch saury fish from the North Pacific. To take care of the vast number of foreign fishermen, the National Immigration Agency, Ministry of the Interior and Tzu Chi International Medical Association using the place of Fishermen’s service centre in Kaohsiung provided hired foreign fishermen with free medical consultation to let uncomfortable fishermen gain qualified medical services last weekend at the offshore of Cianjhen Fishing Port in Kaohsiung.
The National Immigration Agency stated that the volunteer clinic for foreign fishermen of overseas employment has been handled since 2014. It, in the beginning, was conducted at Donggang Township of Pingtung County, but Cianjhen Fishing Port, which has many foreign fishermen, is also another centre of Taiwan’s ocean fishing. Therefore, the volunteer clinic has been expanded to Cianjhen Fishing Port since 2018. To expand and continue promoting the free medical consultation, the cooperation with Kaohsiung Fishermen’s Association, Marine Bureau of Kaohsiung City Government, Taiwan Tuna Association, Taiwan Squid Fishery Association, and Tzu Chi International Medical Association has also been in progress to provide careful medical services for uncomfortable fishermen at the nearest port.
This volunteer clinic which included traditional Chinese medicine (including acupuncture), Eye clinic, Dentistry, Dermatology, Blood Pressure (blood glucose) Measurement, Abdominal Sonography, Electrocardiography (ECG), General Medicine, and General Surgery…etc. is aimed at foreign fishermen in Kaohsiung. Due to the peak season of fishing boats returning to the port, the number of foreign fishermen seeing doctors was very high. The organizer also planned and deployed more doctors in advance. Moreover, there were more than ten new Indonesian residents who volunteered as interpreters to help health care workers communicate with the fishermen to make the activity go smoothly and successfully ends at noon. Providing free medical consultation services for more than 140 foreign fishermen has made Taiwan's friendliness and enthusiasm warm hard-working fishermen’s hearts in this home away from home.
An Indonesian volunteer said that they lacked medical resources in Indonesia, and it was not easy to see a doctor; however, in Taiwan, they can receive free medical consultation and treatments. This volunteer appreciated Taiwan and would like to invite co-workers who are also from Indonesia to participate. The fishermen who received a medical consultation conveyed their gratitude to the National Immigration Agency through interpreting. Besides, the National Immigration Agency also issued a certificate of appreciation to the volunteers of new residents who assisted in the translation to show their respect and gratitude.
The Cianjhen Fishing Port and the Dong-Gang Fishing Harbour are both important fishing ports with the largest number of fishery landings and foreign fishermen in Taiwan’s ocean fishing industry. By providing free medical consultations and promoting patient instructions for foreign fishermen, we strengthened the interaction with non-governmental organizations and integrated the education of anti-corruption regulations and the prevention of human trafficking. The Office of Government Ethics of the NIA also took advantage of this opportunity to publicize anti-corruption regulations and anti-trafficking laws to foreign fishermen, strengthen the fishermen's awareness of their rights and interests, protect occupational safety, show our humane care to enhance the international human rights organizations’ evaluation towards Taiwan.
The director-general of the NIA, Qiu Fengguang, stated that it is very hard for foreign fishermen to work at sea for a period of time. They could only take some medicines when they’re uncomfortable. Therefore, during the time of fishing boats returning to the port, Tzu Chi International Medical Association and Kaohsiung Fishermen’s Association provided free medical consultation and treatments for the fishermen. Also, the director-general Qiu said foreign fishermen have long contributed to the foreign fishery industry, so we should also use our practical actions to concern for their health, and the NIA will continue to carry out the beneficial free clinic services cooperating with public interest groups.
