ASIAN FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS

Monday, January 24, 2011

Christmas Message from Dr Loh

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is time that once again we sit down and spend time together with our loved ones to celebrate the birth of our lord Jesus Christ. We are called to behave like the Holy Family i.e. like Joseph,Mother Mary and Jesus. While we celebrate Christmas we must thank God for giving us the wonderful things that he has given us and we must not forget that there are people out there who are marginalised, living in fear of the authorities and barely have enough food to eat for sustenance.
I wish to now inform you that I have just come back from Phnom Ponh Cambodia after a Medical mission Trip to Cambodia with Dr. John Lee and his Singapore group of Catholic Doctors and Dentists , Medical and Dental students and the Parishioners from different parishes of Singapore. I must thank John for allowing me to join in his Medical Mission to Cambodia called ACTS or Advent Cambodian Trips which have been an eye opener for me. I am sure that John and the Singapore Catholic Doctors Association (Dr. Sally Ho) will be describing to you more in detail at our next AFCMA Congress in Bali under Singapore's Country report.
For those of you who wish to come to Cambodia you must visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. This was a former school converted into a prison by the Pol Pot Regime designed for the detention, interrogation, inhuman torture and killing of the detainees after their confession were received and documented. Altogether about 20,000 prisoners were killed. The Cambodian people had been living through a nightmare in the nineteen seventies. It is hoped that by making the crimes of the inhuman regime public it will prevent new Pol Pot from emerging anywhere on earth!
Different well meaning groups have come to help the people of Cambodia and to rebuild their lives. That is why John and Priscilla Lee's mission here is very welcome by the Cambodian people. The Don Bosco Salesian Sisters have set up schools to helpto educate the young childrenwho have to walk a few kilometers barefeet to school as there is no transport whilst the Missionaries of Mercy (Mother Teresa's) have a Home for the sick.
Dr. John Lee and myself met up with His Grace Bishop Olivier and he was very keen to my suggestion of setting up a Cambodian Catholic Health Care Association so that they will be more organised in their work. The Association can then apply to join AFCMA as a temporary affiliate member and join in our activities. Presently they have about 10 members mainly medical students which Savouen graduating next year.I sincerely hope that as promised by Ms Paola and Mr. Savouen that their Association will be formed within 6 months.
Finally I wish to remind those member countries who wish to help our Indonesian colleagues in Organising the15th AFCMA Congress to pay up their donation towards the AFCMA Sponsorship Fund now. Please pay to Perdhaki whose Banking details I have already given to you earlier. So far the Catholic Doctors Association of Malaysia (CDAM) have donated USD 500 whislt AFCMA itself contributed USD1,000.Please let me and Dr. Chong Khin Yam and myself know once your Association have donated so that it will be recorded in AFCMA's Treasurer's Report in 2012.
Thank you, God Bless Everyone and have a Blessed Christmas.
In Jesus Christ,
Dr. Freddie Loh,
President AFCMA.