Bridging Healthcare Gaps—Tzu Chi and the SDGs

“Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages” is the third Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations. The aim of the goal is to significantly reduce maternal, infant, and under-five child mortality rates by 2030. It also seeks to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection; ensuring access to essential healthcare services; and making safe, effective, high-quality, and affordable medicines and vaccines available to all. Although Taiwan has nearly achieved these targets, significant gaps remain in healthcare access in many other parts of the world.

According to the World Health Organization and the World Bank, out-of-pocket medical expenses have pushed hundreds of millions of people worldwide into extreme poverty. Furthermore, fewer than ten percent of the global population has access to medical services on par with those offered by teaching hospitals. In developing countries across Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, many destitute individuals struggle to obtain even basic clinic services, let alone hospitalization for advanced care.

In countries without well-established healthcare systems, Tzu Chi’s medical mission addresses far greater needs. In areas where access to essential medical care is limited, even a simple surgical procedure can profoundly impact the fate of an entire family.

At the Tzu Chi Eye Center in Manila, the Philippines, patients with eye diseases begin arriving early in the morning from various regions. Often guided by family members due to impaired vision, they come seeking examinations and treatment. One such patient was Kevin Andrade. Blind for over three years due to cataracts, he had been unable to afford treatment. At one point, despair had overwhelmed him to the extent that he attempted to take his own life, but one of his children intervened and saved him just in time. Now he anxiously waited in the recovery area, recovering after cataract surgery at the eye center.

“Do you see this?” Dr. Catherina Coronel-Nasol asked Kevin after his surgery, holding out a finger. Kevin replied dejectedly, “No.” But after resting for three hours, he suddenly stood up and walked to and from the toilet on his own—moving as though his vision were completely normal. Everyone was surprised and overjoyed. Although only the vision in his right eye had been restored, it filled him with hope as he eagerly looked forward to returning to work to support his family.

The Tzu Chi Eye Center, offering free, critical eye care to those in need, recorded 20,000 patient visits in 2023 alone. Similarly, a prosthetics center in Zamboanga City, southern Philippines, provides free, customized prosthetics to people with disabilities, addressing another essential aspect of medical care for underserved populations.

These services are just one facet of Tzu Chi’s nearly three decades of medical work in the Philippines. With over 7,000 islands, the country faces significant wealth inequality and transportation barriers. Many impoverished residents in remote areas live their entire lives without ever visiting a hospital. To bring healthcare to these underserved communities, Tzu Chi volunteers established medical outreach teams in the Philippines in 1995.

Dr. Josefino Qua (柯賢智), a senior member of TIMA Philippines, reflected on those early days: “We started with nothing.” Their first anesthesia machine was a second-hand unit phased out by the U.S. military; lacking specialized surgical lamps, they improvised with regular light bulbs; and surgeries were performed in school libraries or offices, with desks serving as makeshift operating tables. Despite these limitations, the volunteers were driven by a deep passion to help others.

“The number of nurses and other volunteers participating grew with each event,” Dr. Qua said. “Even though there was no financial compensation or recognition, everyone stayed committed. While much has changed over the years, the one constant has been love.”

TIMA Philippines now conducts three to four large-scale free clinics in the country annually. Over nearly 30 years, volunteers have held more than 260 such events, recording over 300,000 patient visits.

In addition to the Philippines, Tzu Chi has been organizing free clinics in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore for many years, with teams often crossing borders to provide assistance. For example, in August 2024, volunteers from Singapore teamed up with medical professionals and support volunteers from Sri Lanka to host a free clinic in Sri Lanka’s Kalutara District. The event brought together 352 healthcare workers and other volunteers. While doctor visits are free in Sri Lanka, patients are required to pay out-of-pocket for medications. In recent years, the cost of medicine has doubled, placing a significant financial burden on low-income residents.

This free clinic, offering services in traditional Chinese medicine, dentistry, ophthalmology, and internal medicine, was held at Katugahahena Divisional Hospital, a public facility staffed by only four doctors and lacking both ophthalmology and dentistry specialties. A root canal procedure at a private hospital costs 40,000 Sri Lankan rupees (US$135), making it unaffordable for many. Consequently, although the free clinic officially began at 8:30 a.m., some local people arrived as early as 3 a.m. to secure their place. Over the course of two and a half days, the clinic provided care for 4,600 patient visits.

Tzu Chi’s medical efforts worldwide have not only brought relief to patients but also sparked a passion for service among healthcare professionals. For instance, Dr. Ruzbih Bahtiar, a TIMA volunteer in Indonesia, found the experience of serving patients in a free clinic profoundly fulfilling. When patients expressed their gratitude, he humbly remarked that he was the one who had benefited more. “Fulfilling others’ needs is an incredibly rewarding experience,” he said.