General Information Programme and texts of the Congress Conclusions

Website: http://www.fiamc.org TEXTS OF THE CONGRESS JAPAN CATHOLIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: PRESENT REALITY AND FUTURE PROSPECTS Masaya TAKEUCHI Japan Catholic Medical Association, President The Japan Catholic Medical Association was founded in 1942, and has had a 60-year history of challenging activities. Catholics in Japan are a minority group with only 440,000 people, comprising about 0.35% of the total population. Recently however, migrants coming from Brazil, the Philippines, Peru and Bolivia, have doubled the Catholic population. We have about 700 members in our association, although there are more than 2000 Catholic doctors in the country. Among them are many outstanding and well-known professionals. The Catholic Medical Association is divided into 19 chapters. Members are engaged in many organized medical activities. We have taken seriously the words of Pope John Paul II. During our daily activities of healing the sick, he said, we doctors have the noble task of protecting and saving human life. The Pope encourages us to provide warm and caring treatment that touches the whole person, physically and spiritually. We strive to upgrade the quality of our treatment by keeping updated not only in our own professional fields, but in psychology, spirituality and the social sciences as well. Once a month our Tokyo chapter meets to continue studying bioethics. We also look at difficult problems facing Japanese society. We study complex problems such as substance abuse and addiction; medical care for irregular migrants without health insurance coverage; Tuberculosis screening for people at risk; and medical care and counseling for homeless people. To resolve some of these problems, we cooperate with NGO's and work towards long-term solutions. To foster the spiritual growth of our members, we hold annual Retreats. We have 1083 parishes where Catholic doctors give professional advice to Christians on bioethical questions. As the aging of Japanese society progresses rapidly, the elderly population in Catholic parishes grows in proportion. Doctors face new challenges in helping families select suitable ways to care for their elderly. Our Medical Association has cooperated closely with the Catholic Hospital Association, and with the Nurses' Association. During the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, our three associations worked together closely to bring medical assistance to victims in the devastated area. Our medical staff was acclaimed with deep gratitude. Seminars for Catholic medical and nursing students are held every summer at study camps. These events are well attended by our young students. Regarding overseas assistance, our association in Japan has been active for many years. Here are some examples: 1. Together with the Japanese Sisters of the Visitation, our association co-founded a Clinic and Referral Center in the northern part of the Philippines. For twenty years we've cooperated with the Community-Based Health Development Program. We've trained more than 300 local Health Workers. We also organize annual medical missions with doctors of internal medicine, surgeons, pediatricians and dentists, along with other staff members. We offer quality medical treatment, practice preventive medicine, and promote sanitation and hygiene education in the villages. 2. One of our members, Dr. Hidero Masuda, a well-known ophthalmologist, works in Cameroon. For five years he has been performing advanced eye surgery to restore sight to countless number of people. He also teaches Cameroon doctors how to use his technique. 3. Cooperating with the Japan Lay Missionary Movement, doctors of our association provide medical assistance to the peoples of East Timor and Vietnam. Members of our Catholic Medical Association have been working for the glory of God in Japan, as well as in countries abroad. It is our dream that in the future we might be able to cooperate with other members of FIAMC to improve the health of more people throughout the world.