Over 1,000 Local Residents Treated… 75 Surgeries, Including Cataract and Lipoma Removals

"Fulfilling to offer a new life to residents who have lived with untreated illnesses, disconnected from medical care."

▲ Professor HyunSuk Peter Suh of the Department of Plastic Surgery (far right), performs a lipoma removal surgery on a resident in Berastagi, Indonesia.

AMC Medical Volunteers, a medical volunteering team of Asan Medical Center, recently brought their expertise to Indonesia's volcanic ash-affected region, providing critical care and surgical services to local residents.

The 32-member team, including 5 physicians and 21 nurses, traveled to Berastagi, North Sumatra, from November 17 to 23. During their mission, they treated 1,030 residents and performed 75 surgeries, including cataract and lipoma removals.

Berastagi, a mountainous area on the island of Sumatra, continues to suffer from the aftermath of Mount Sinabung's 2010 eruption. The volcano continues to erupt intermittently, displacing over 10,000 residents from their homes. An estimated 300,000 people in the surrounding area live under the constant threat of further volcanic activity.

The region’s healthcare system is in a dire state. It suffers from a severe shortage of medical facilities and trained professionals. Moreover, infection control measures in existing hospitals are often inadequate, leading to frequent post-surgical infections, some of which result in death. Consequently, many residents distrust hospitals, turning instead to traditional healers for treatments, such as setting dislocated joints, perpetuating non-medical practices.

AMC Medical Volunteers established a temporary treatment center at Kabanjahe Hospital, where they conducted 150 blood and urine tests, 126 ophthalmologic exams, 54 X-rays, 51 ultrasounds, 35 electrocardiograms, and 15 echocardiograms. They also distributed essential medications, such as pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, brought from Korea.

AMC Medical Volunteers included specialists from the Department of Plastic Surgery and the Division of Acute Care Surgery, enabling the team to perform a variety of complex procedures typically unavailable at local hospitals. They conducted 49 pterygium excisions, 14 cataract surgeries, 1 ophthalmic surgery, and 11 other operations, including lipoma removals, for a total of 75 surgeries.

▲ AMC Medical Volunteers treated over 1,000 patients during their visit to Berastagi, Indonesia.

Many of the patients suffered from conditions that could have been easily treated with proper medication or minor surgeries. However, economic hardships and inadequate medical infrastructure had forced them to endure their ailments for years.

AMC Medical Volunteers worked tirelessly from dawn until late at night to maximize the number of patients they could provide care. Grateful residents expressed their appreciation with heartfelt “Terima kasih” (“Thank you”).

Professor Sei Won Lee, the Head of AMC Medical Volunteers and Professor of the Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, remarked, “Berastagi lacks even basic medical infrastructure, including facilities capable of performing cataract surgeries. This mission was deeply fulfilling, as it allowed us to provide better health and hope to residents who have lived with untreated illnesses for so long.”

Since its inception, AMC Medical Volunteers has embodied the founding mission of the Asan Foundation of ‘helping the underprivileged of our society.’ Since 2009, the initiative has expanded globally, delivering medical aid in 16 countries across 55 missions. This year alone, AMC Medical Volunteers visited Uganda in January and Kyrgyzstan in February. Additionally, Asan Medical Center offers lifesaving care by inviting patients with severe conditions, who cannot be treated locally, to Korea at no cost.