Under the leadership of Dr. Charles Hsu, a total of 75 team members participated in this Belize medical mission, including a record-breaking 33 doctors. The free medical services were held in three key locations: Belmopan, the capital of Belize; Belize City, the largest city; and Orange Walk, the hometown of the Prime Minister. In these cities, we provided family care, internal medicine and pediatric care, surgeries, gynecological care, ophthalmology procedures, and dental health services. 

In total 5 days’ medical care provided:

• 1,798 patient visits in pediatrics, internal medicine, gynecology and general cares
• 57 major surgeries and 33 outpatient consultations 
• 304 dental procedures,

32 overseas Chinese patients were treated as well.

• 12 ophthalmology surgeries and 28 outpatient services

Most of the team members are medical doctors and medical nurses from US, including Dr. Esther Liu, former president of NATMA Chicago chapter ; Dr. Willie Chen, an ophthalmologist and former president of NATMA Atlanta chapter ; Dr. Lin Jiin-Tarng, president of NATMA Northern California chapter; Dr. Wang Jen-Chin, founder of the NATMA International Medical Mission, cardiologist from Taiwan, Dr. Pai Hsi-Yen; and six outstanding medical students from Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan. Belize, with a population of 42,000, is a loyal ally of Taiwan, and its current Prime Minister, Johnny Briceño, received our team on October 16 at his office in Laing Office of Foreign Affairs Building, near the seaside. He awarded NATMA’s International Medical Mission Team and its leader, Dr. Charlie Hsu for their outstanding service. On October 17, again, the Prime Minister visited our medical mission practice site in Orange Walk, spending two hours meeting each team member, expressing his most gratitude, and personally receiving a cardiology consultation and acupuncture treatment by our doctors. During the five-day medical mission service, the NATMA team visited nine different communities. Dr. David Young made a house call to an 85-year-old bedridden patient to provide home care, while Dr. Sonia Alemán and Dr. Lin Jiin- Tarng attended to a 98-year-old terminally ill patient, offering comfort care.  Drs. Nathan and Christine Carlson made a house call to provide care to a lady who could not walk to the San Estevan clinic in Orange Walk.  We treated numerous patients with arthritis pain, hypertension and diabetes. Our surgeons tirelessly performed operations at KHMH, WRH, and NRH hospitals for patients with neck tumors, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and gallstones. The dental care was fully booked for the four and a half days.  The Belizean Dental Director reported that the NATMA did awesome 304 dental cases. Acupuncture services, led by Dr. Huang, Yung Ju were especially popular. Dr. Huang even worked overtime to treat sick patients and government officials.

 At the farewell celebration dinner on October 18, Belize’s Minister of Health and Welfare, Kevin Bernard, and Director Dr. Jorge Polanco attended and presented certificates of appreciation to each member of the medical mission team. They expressed their deep thanks for the remarkable care provided in Belize and urged us to return soon. On the spot, Dr. Kenneth Chang and five surgeons committed to returning to Belize to train local doctors in laparoscopic surgery. NATMA also donated over $20,000 worth of medical and dental equipment and medicine to Belize’s Ministry of Health, and Gynecologist Dr. Steve Yu generously donated 500 IUDs.

 This incredibly successful medical and dental services garnered significant media attention. On October 14, five doctors were interviewed for 30 minutes on the TV show “Sun Up on 7.” Additionally, there were two major newspaper reports and three TV segments, including a 38-minute feature on Channel 7, which highlighted NATMA’s surgical work at KHMH Hospital, the largest and best hospital in Belize, as well as our ongoing dedication to free medical service.

 2024 Belize Medical Mission had a record number of doctors participate, with presidents and members from various NATMA branches across the U.S. joining forces. The success was further supported by the efforts of the Belize Overseas Chinese Leader Philip Ying, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Belize Lily Hsu and her staff members, and eight CCICED staff members. The Ministry of Belize Health and Welfare, hospital directors, and local doctors expressed heartfelt thanks for our selfless dedication, and they eagerly hope for our return to help train local medical staff and elevate the country’s medical standards.

 We are deeply proud of the success of this free clinic, which not only provided much-needed medical care to the poor of Belize but also strengthened the diplomatic relationship between Taiwan and Belize.

Dr. Charles Hsu

Organizer, NATMA 2024 Belize Medical Mission

Dr. David Yang 

NATMA President 2023-2024

Dr. Daniel Hsu

NATMA Foundation SC Chapter

Chairman

NATMA 2024 貝里斯國際醫療義診 10月12日到10月20日 在許宗邦醫師籌劃

領隊下 共有75 隊員參加，我們有破記錄的33 位醫師參加。義診大隊在 首都Belmopan, 最大城市 Belize City，總理的故鄉Orange Walk，三個不同城市有家庭醫學科內兒看診,外科,婦科開刀手術，眼科看診開刀和牙齒健康看病服務。家庭醫學內兒婦產科 共看診1798 人次，外科開57個大手術 和33位門診病人，牙科服務304人，眼科有12開刀和28位門診病人。我們有很多美籍的醫護人員參加，有NATMA 芝加哥前會長 Dr. Esther Liu, 亞特蘭大前會長 眼科醫師 陳英偉，北加州會長 林錦堂醫師 和國際義診創始人 王政卿醫師，台灣的心臟科醫師 白錫彥醫師，台灣高雄醫學大學6 位優秀醫牙藥學生一齊參加。

貝里斯人口共有42萬人 是台灣忠誠的盟友。 現今貝國的領導人是 總理 Johnny Briceño, 10 月16日特別在海邊 Laing辦公室接待團隊，特別頒獎給 NATMA 國際義診團和許宗邦團長 對貝里斯人民義診服務的傑出貢獻，隔天10 月17日總理先生和他的團隊再次來到 Orange Walk市 ，參訪我們的義診活動，他停留現場二小時，和團員一一握手，感謝在場的每位工作人員, 同時接受 我們心臟科看診和 針炙治療。

5天來NATMA一般科共到9個不同社區看診服務，Dr. David Young醫師特別親自走訪一位是85 歲臥床不起的貧苦病人做居家治療， Dr. Sonia Alemán 和林錦堂醫師親自到病人家拜訪一位 98 歲臨終病人，看診做安慰治療。Drs. Nathan and Christine Carlson 在總理的故鄉 到一位無法走路病人家做診療。我們幫助很多高血壓和糖尿病的病人。外科醫師 4天辛苦的手術 ，做了 頸瘤 ，乳癌 ，大腸癌和很多 膽結石的開刀， 牙科的4天半看診 全部爆滿 ，針炙科特別受歡迎 ，黄勇儒中醫師更在幾個晚上加班出診治療台灣華人鄉親和政府官員。

10月18日的離別慶功晚宴時 貝國衞服部部長 Kevin Bernard 和醫療事務司長 Dr. Jorge Polanco到場參加，頒發特別感謝狀給義診團每位成員， 他再三的感謝我們這次義診對貝國人民的服務 他希望我們盡快再次回到貝國服務。當場我們有Dr.Kenneth Chang 和5 位外科醫師同意會再回到貝國 訓練貝國外科醫師做腹腔鏡開刀手術。 現場NATMA慷慨的捐出價值二萬多美元的醫療藥品器材給貝里斯衛服部政府。婦產科醫師 俞國賢也捐500 子宮避孕環。

這次超成功的義診 ，在10 月14日 有5位醫師 受邀到電視台 Sun Up on 7,

做現場30 分鐘的 NATMA義診專訪，另外有2 份大報報導和3 次不同的電視報導， 更有一次 是 第七電視台有38 分鐘深入介紹NATMA 外科團隊在貝里斯最大最好的 KHMH醫院的開刀及病人服務 ，以及NATMA 國際醫療醫診團多年來的付出和供獻。當地 Love 電視台也有評細的報導。

NATMA這次超大型的 多科醫療團 有破紀錄的多位醫師參加 ，有 NATMA 在美國不同分會會長和會員參加，有貝國僑領邢增輝和許多當地台僑，和台灣駐貝里斯大使徐儷文，大使館6位成員加上國合會 8位人員共同努力 ，完全一次非常成功的義診。 我們的無私奉獻 超凡的成果 感動貝國當權者，衛福部官員和三家不同醫院的院長和醫師們。 他們真摯感謝我們的愛心服務，希望我們能盡快地再次義診 ，幫助訓練貝國醫師和醫療人員 ，提高他們的醫療水準。這次成功和協的愛心義診 為貝里斯很多窮困民衆提供免費醫療服務，同時加強台灣和貝里斯倆國的外交友誼。一到二年後我們一定會到貝里斯再度醫學學療義診

許宗邦醫師 團長

北美洲台灣人醫師協會