"Free health consultation for foreign residents" held

On Sunday, February 9, 2020, we held a free health consultation at the APFS office. The consultation included a medical interview by a doctor, blood pressure and temperature measurement, urine test, and height and weight measurement. Twenty people had made reservations in advance, and 18 people attended on the day. More than half were from Bangladesh, but there were also people from India, Pakistan, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso. Some people who do not have residency status and are unable to enroll in health insurance also attended, and they consulted us about health problems that they are worried about because they cannot go to a hospital.

Of course, the number of illnesses discovered in health consultations of this scale is limited, but many people had their blood pressure measured or urine tested for the first time in a long time. Some were diagnosed with high blood pressure, and others had protein or sugar in their urine, and some unexpectedly became aware of health problems. We hope that this will encourage people to go to the hospital, so that illnesses can be detected before they become serious. Opportunities like this are especially valuable for foreigners who do not have residence status or health insurance, so we intend to continue these on a small scale.