Tuesday, May 17, 2005

A Farewell to Afghanistan

I suppose this is necessary at least for two reasons.

Medical doctor Tetsu Nakmuara once made unsworn testimony in the Japanese national assembly called Diet. He was also sometimes a focus of TV programs. However it was September 11 attacks by Al-Qaeda on the east coast of America that drew people’s attention onto him in Japan. He has been working to help Afghan people and Pakistani since 1984. Today, his organization called Peshawar-kai has a Web site to introduce his work.

The membership requires 3,000 yen (roughly $30) per year. The number of members of the group is almost 12,000. So, its budget might be around $360,000US. But there might be some large givers who, each alone, would donate hundreds of thousand dollars. Appearance on TV and in the Diet might also appeal to some rich people concerned.

In February 2002, another middle-aged doctor began to work in Peshawar. How and why he came to Pakistan and Afghanistan was, in a sense, easy to comprehend and believe. In 1999 he happened to see a TV program featuring Doctor Nakamura, and later he spotted often this suddenly-focused-on medical doctor on TV since start of air-raid by the U.S. on Talibans and Al-Qaeda in 2001. It was incidentally when he was searching for opportunity to work in some Asian country. At last, he made contact with the Peshawar-kai. Then he found the way to realize his dream he had long cherished since his first overseas trip made in his late 30’s to Asia.

Since then three years have passed. And at the end of his mission in the region, he wrote some on a brochure of the Peshawar-kai.

The medical doctor wrote Afghan medical doctors were very proud. They seemed to be respected far more than their professional brethren in Japan. Their knowledge level, as an expert, is very high. So, the Japanese medical doctor must try hard to let them understand merit of Japanese way and adopt it. For example, he observed 3000 cases of medical test of upper alimentary tract.

He wrote that he met many Japanese workers in Peshawar, most of whom were working in Afghanistan. And he was very thankful to the Peshawar-kai for providing him with a chance to work there.

Medical doctor Nakamura was well known for his anti-America views. Perhaps, the views are linked to his motivation to work in those regions, which started two decades ago when Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles, Ronald Reagan was re-elected, and FAO reported that 150 million people were starving in Africa.

The reasons I picked up this issue are not to turn a spotlight on that famous medical doctor Nakamura for any reasons. But, to show my satisfaction with good medical work done by a nameless medical doctor and to take heed on the very pride of Afghan medical doctors which surprised the humble, nameless Japanese doctor.