On December 26, 2004, the strongest earthquake in 40 years struck the Indian Ocean. It set off a series of lethal tsunamis which churned over the sea at a speed of 800 kilometers (500 miles) per hour. Sri Lanka is at least 1,000 miles away from the epicenter of the earthquake, but it still became the second most heavily damaged country after Indonesia.

"Allah gave me everything, and I commend everything to Allah." Despite the environmental devastation that has torn apart their land, the Sri Lankan people have found comfort and strength in the religious beliefs that shape their culture. They have found the power to rise up again and rebuild their lives, searching out new ways in which to rediscover the original abundance and richness of life.



Hambantota is a long, narrow city located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. To one side is a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean and to the other side is a salt-water lagoon. A scattering of tourist villas were once dotted along the beachfront area leading up to the famous Yala National Park. Hambantota's reputation as a renowned holiday haven was growing because of its close proximity to both the beach and the park, which resulted in a steady increase of tourist visitors each year. Holidaymakers could enjoy the best of both worlds, either choosing between the long stretches of pristine beach or alternatively venturing into the wild terrain of the park.

Every Sunday, farmers and fishermen from the surrounding areas would travel to Hambantota to sell their produce at the market. Gradually, the Sunday Market, which had begun as a small collection of sellers, became the busiest meeting place of the week. Villagers came from near and far to attend.

December 26, 2004, was the first Sunday after Christmas. As the sun began to raise its head sleepily over the land, the people of Hambantota also began to wake up and greet the day.

The news about the opening of a new hot-meal shop in the Sunday Market had aroused the interest of many local shoppers and by 9 a.m. the streets of Hambantota were filled with villagers. Not many people were aware of the strange change in the ocean's behavior.

The originally peaceful sea had begun to recede at a terrifying pace, as suddenly as though the land had frightened her. Soon afterwards a huge tidal wave, with the force of thousands of horses behind it, came stampeding over the busy city, not caring for the lives or property that stood in its way.

Within only 20 minutes, the bustling city was entirely demolished. All the clocks in the city stopped at 9:21. The disaster caught everyone off guard because it happened at the busiest and most productive time of the week. The deceased would never know that the tsunami had been caused by an earthquake in another country.　

The tsunami swept through the coastal areas so suddenly, and with such terrific force, that it damaged 70 percent of the island's coastline and killed over 30,000 people.　

The earthquake occurred to the west of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, and stirred up a 10-meter-high (32-foot) tsunami which churned forward over the Indian Ocean at around 800 kilometers (500 miles) per hour.

Sri Lanka is like a drop of water on the Indian Ocean, which is why it was so severely damaged by the tsunami. One hour after the earthquake, the giant wave swept across the coast, damaging 70 percent of the coastline and killing over 30,000 people. Homes, roads, bridges, crops, and fish were all swept away, and drinking water, electricity, and other basic amenities and infrastructure were completely destroyed. All normal economic activities ceased.

Horrified survivors witnessed not only the deaths of their family members, but also the complete destruction of their homes and belongings. Their hearts were ravaged. The 2004 tsunami will go down in Sri Lankan history as the most damaging natural disaster ever to have occurred in its 2,000-year heritage.

Within 36 hours after the earthquake, Tzu Chi made a decision to send a medical team of 36 doctors, nurses and volunteers to Sri Lanka via Singapore with 1,800 kilograms (3,968 pounds) of medicine and relief goods.

Colombo is both the capital of Sri Lanka and the country's gate to the outside world. In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, rescue organizations and news teams from around the world were crammed into Colombo. All the local hotels were jammed.

The Tzu Chi team arrived on December 30. With assistance from Graetian Gunawardhana of the Lions's Club of Colombo and Anil de Silva of the Leader Day Company, the team visited the Minister of Health before taking buses to Hambantota, 240 kilometers away. They immediately set up a medical station so that they could begin helping the local hospitals, which were seriously inundated with injured patients.　

Kanthi lost three children in the tsunami. She hadn't eaten for days but simply murmured repeatedly, over and over again, her wish: "Let me die..."　

Tsunami survivors stayed with relatives and friends, or sheltered in local temples, mosques or schools. There were over 30 shelters in Hambantota, and the Tzu Chi volunteers visited a few of them.

In a temple in Mirijjawala, J.K. Alexander, 51, a grieving father and fisherman, described what had happened to him. His daughter and her husband were attending the Sunday Market when the tsunami hit, and they had been missing ever since. Alexander had been searching for them for days, but had found only the rusted remains of their bicycles and nothing else. His daughter had left behind a survivor--a one-month-old baby boy. Alexander's wife explained that the baby had no milk for five days after the tsunami, but fortunately some kind person had given them some milk powder so that they could feed their grandson. The little baby had survived the tsunami, but he had suffered the tremendous loss of both parents without ever having seen the beauty of the world through his eyes. He hadn't even been named yet.

Kanthi, 40, lay rocking on the ground in the corner of the temple. Before the tsunami, she had split her time between working at a garment factory and looking after her three young children. They were killed by the tsunami, and as a consequence Kanthi hadn't eaten or drunk anything for three days. All she could do was continually murmur, "Let me die. I've lost all my children and my life is hopeless. Just let me die..."

Dr. Yang Chih-kuo from the Tzu Chi team instantly recognized that the woman was suffering from severe psychological trauma, and he prescribed medicine to help ease her terrible pain. The woman's manager, Janaka Botejue, asked the doctor to give him the prescriptions for the necessary nutritional supplements so that he could buy them for Kanthi.

Numerous Sri Lankans were suffering from these same terrible problems. The Tzu Chi team stopped in front of a simple home that housed several families. A couple with injured legs told how they had been trapped in a whirlpool in the tsunami. When they regained consciousness, they discovered that they had lost seven members of their family. Drs. Yang and Chang Chia-ning treated their wounds.

Among the crowd was a nine-year-old girl called Risla Adahan. She was at home with her family on Sunday when a sudden roaring sound filled the skies. Her father yelled to everyone to run, and when they rushed from the house, Risla found herself swept up within the tremendous force of the wave. She was dragged along to a lagoon 200 meters (656 feet) from the sea. She held tightly onto a floating refrigerator and was rescued by a woman. Although she survived, her entire family had been killed.

Darshana Prasad, the team's interpreter, spoke quietly to us, "Risla is in such a state of shock that she probably doesn't comprehend yet that her family members have all been killed." Risla was being adopted by her uncle, Tuan Jabbar Adahan.

Adahan was the sole remaining relative the girl had to depend on. His family was saved when he helped them run to higher ground, but the tsunami had continued to wash away and destroy everything they had ever owned. When Risla asked him where her parents were, Adahan could only tell her, with tears streaming down his face, that he would take care of her from now on.

Adahan was a fisherman and a devout Muslim. His relatives had always gathered together once a week, but the tsunami had terminated that custom forever.

Sri Lanka is a typical example of a rural agricultural country. Forty percent of the population work in farming and produce mainly tea leaves, rubber and coconuts. Sri Lankan black tea is famous worldwide. Because the country is surrounded by the sea, residents in coastal towns mostly work in the fishing industry.

Fishermen know that there are risks in their business. "This disaster was the most ruthless one, but it won't be the last one," said Adahan, who knows this industry well. Fishermen can only rely on their gods for protection.

The sea destroyed everything Adahan owned, including his home and boat. He still prays to Allah to help him get back to the ocean and continue with his life. "Allah gave me everything, and I commend everything to Allah," said Adahan helplessly, yet peacefully.　

The air was filled with death in a town that had nothing left to live for. Crows flew low, and on this day, one week after the tsunami, people began digging.　

One week after the disaster, people started to appear on the land. A factory by a salt pan seemed to be working again.

The extent to which the tsunami had ravaged Hambantota was visible everywhere. The Sunday Market was a ruin, houses were crumbled into piles of rubble, trees were uprooted, a communication tower was twisted with the warped shape of a car still jammed inside it, piles of torn clothing hung in the trees, and tree roots, bricks, and cars lay upturned in the lagoon.

The air was filled with the overwhelming stench of death in a town that had nothing left to live for. Crows flew low in the sky and stirred up piles of dust. It was on this day that people began digging.

Five thousand volunteers, including the Relief Service Force, traveled over 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Ratnapura to remove rubble with hands or shovels. The Relief Service Force members explained that most people had been committed to rescuing survivors and distributing relief supplies, which meant that there weren't enough people to clean up the disaster areas. This was why they had volunteered to help with the cleanup work. At the same time, they were also trying to locate bodies.

Before the disaster, Hambantota District had had a population of 520,000. Half a month later, the local government estimated that over 1,900 people had died in the tsunami and over 1,100 were still missing.

The tidal wave had dragged many people and houses into the sea. The estimated death count included the bodies which had been washed back to shore and found on the beach. No one knew how many were still at the bottom of the sea or buried under rubble.

When excavating began, the terrible reality began to surface. Body after body was dug out from under the rubble. For sanitation reasons, bodies had to be buried immediately at a nearby location. It was a terrible sight to witness survivors searching among the piles of corpses, attempting to find their deceased family members. Worse still was the unbearable sadness that they had to endure when the deceased were buried before being recognized.

The team's interpreter, Sujeevan Arulampalam, sighed with a terrible sense of remorse when he looked out over the sea. The Sunday Market had been a popular weekly event that brought families and friends together for both business and social reasons. When the disaster happened, there were around 5,000 people in the market. Arulampalam was confused as to how he should interpret that number. "I don't know if I should say that it was fortunate timing or not, because if the tsunami had happened at 10 or 11 a.m., then there would have been even more people in the market."

After the tsunami, Hambantota was nothing more than a ghost town. Arulampalam said, with great sadness in his voice, "The devastating destruction that happened in 20 minutes will take us at least 20 years to recover from."　

The injuries inflicted by the tsunami were mostly physical contusions and psychological trauma caused from the loss of family.　

According to the Tzu Chi team, who spent many days in the disaster area, the majority of their patients were injured with physical contusions. These injuries had mainly been inflicted when people found themselves either trapped in whirlpools, or hit by fast-moving debris, such as bricks, machines, furniture, or cars. In addition, many people suffered from severe psychological trauma caused by witnessing the loss of some, or all, of their family members.

Although medical fees are waived at public hospitals in Sri Lanka, this doesn't mean that there is an abundance of available resources. There was a hospital situated about 50 meters (164 feet) from where the Tzu Chi medical team set up their station. The tsunami killed two of the doctors who worked there, so the hospital, which was already short of staff and medical supplies, was totally overwhelmed by the sudden influx of patients. The staff tried to cope with the situation with the assistance of a few doctors who were transferred from Colombo.

Mohammed Sisvi, 21, came to the Tzu Chi medical station for treatment for contusions. His wife, whom he had married only one month before, had died in the tsunami. He stayed in the hospital for five days for IV injections. After receiving his treatment, Mohammed told the volunteers that he would like to bring his mother too. She was treated in the Tzu Chi station the following day.

Doctors at the Tzu Chi medical station carefully diagnosed injuries, treated wounds, and tenderly inquired about the conditions of patients' families. If patients needed counseling, the doctors would ask volunteers to take over and assist. Nurses and pharmacists also carried out group activities in order to try to cheer up the waiting patients, while others examined their wounds or prepared prescriptions.

As the days passed, many families came to the medical station. Those needing medical attention went to see the doctors; those who didn't would simply talk to volunteers about their experiences so that they could leave the station in a more relaxed frame of mind. Some were so inspired by the work of the volunteers that they in turn volunteered to help other people.

Sri Lanka is a country deeply influenced by Buddhism. In the 3rd century b.c., King Asoka of India dispatched his son, Mahendra, to bring the religion to Sri Lanka, and the island became the home of Theravada Buddhism. For thousands of years, Buddhist philosophy has influenced Sri Lankan art, literature, architecture, and politics.

Many of Sri Lanka's temples were lucky enough to escape the tsunami's destruction, and as a result they became shelters for many survivors. The highly respected abbots of these temples also provided survivors with a much valued source of psychological counseling.

Across the street from the Tzu Chi station was a temple, and on the temple grounds was a bodhi tree so huge that it took over 10 people to surround it. It was at this place that the volunteers met Master Chandima. The young master, only 28 years old, had attained four university degrees. He had lost two brothers in the disaster; he himself had been saved because he had stayed in the temple. His spiritual cultivation allowed him to see the demise of his brothers with the Buddhist concept of conditional happening; he explained, "Buddhists believe that nothing in the world is permanent, and this fact is something we cannot avoid."

As people from around the world gathered to help, everyone was deeply saddened by the survivors' heart-breaking stories, but there was still hope.　

Members of two French organizations, Medecins Sans Frontieres and Telecoms Sans Frontieres, arrived a few days later. Helicopters from the British Royal Navy began constantly landing and taking off near the Tzu Chi station. When the pilots were free, they would often take a break at the Tzu Chi station.

Hambantota's incoming and outgoing communication networks were completely cut off after the disaster. Telecoms Sans Frontieres set up satellite phones to help survivors talk to their relatives elsewhere.

As people from around the world gathered to help, everyone was deeply saddened by the survivors' heart-breaking stories, but there was still hope. People from other parts of the world felt the pain of Hambantota's survivors and flew out to Sri Lanka to help. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing conflict between the Tamil Tigers and the government, the two factions would not communicate with each other to help survivors under the control of the Tamil Tigers. It was indeed an added misery for these poor survivors.　

Uditha said that he felt his country was like heaven. Although the tsunami was certainly terrible, the resulting help from so many people around the world had opened a window for the people of Sri Lanka.　

Sri Lanka has rolling hills, lush green grass, and dense blankets of trees. The island is full of flourishing tropical plants and sweeping beaches dotted with palm trees spread out along the coastline.

The country also has numerous natural parks. Cattle walk freely on the streets and peacocks, monkeys, wild birds, and komodo dragons also enjoy the embrace of nature.

Sri Lanka's natural beauty and abundance of wildlife has always attracted tourists from all parts of the world to spend their holidays there. Its people also live relatively freely in this Shangrila environment.

"This is the real Sri Lanka!" our interpreter, Silva, would call out whenever he saw smiles on people's faces as he led Tzu Chi volunteers through the streets. The excellent levels of nature conservation and the peaceful coexistence between man and animals show that the residents are simple, good and kind.

Seventy percent of the Sri Lankan population are Buddhists, and many are proud to be body donors. In 1970, ophthalmologist Hudson Silva set up the International Eye Bank to export corneas to other parts of the world. Taiwan started accepting corneas from Sri Lanka in 1980, and since then many people in Taiwan have been able to see the world again after receiving cornea transplants.

Sri Lanka has suffered an unprecedented tsunami which totally destroyed local infrastructure and shops. No tourists are coming now, and as a consequence hotels have had to close down. The local economy was, and still is, seriously affected. Everyone, whether directly affected by the tsunami or not, still had to line up to receive relief goods. Sri Lanka is a country so warm in spirit that, despite the severity of the tsunami, it still opens its heart to the world. Uditha, a volunteer Tsu Chi interpreter, said that living in Sri Lanka was like living in heaven. The tsunami might have brought tremendous pain and agony to the local people, but with support and love from people around the world, they will stand up again and grow.

Postscript: From late December 2004 to January 19, 2005, the Tzu Chi medical station in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, served over 11,000 people. On January 18, Tzu Chi signed a memo with the Sri Lankan government to build 1,000 homes for survivors. At the end of January, the foundation decided to distribute two months of rice to over 80,000 people in Hambantota and 2,000 cooking utensils to survivors in Tangalla.

The Tzu Chi Indonesia branch office shipped 18 containers of relief goods, including 14,000 blankets from Taiwan, to Medan, North Sumatra Province. The Taiwanese Council of Agriculture also sent 33,000 tons of rice and two water-purification machines that can provide drinking water for 250,000 people. In addition, a follow-up relief plan includes building 3,000 homes and infrastructure in Banda Aceh and 3,000 house-like tents in Meulaboh.

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Tzu Chi Medical Teams to Sri Lanka

By Huang Hsiu-hua
Translated by Lin Sen-shou

The tsunami washed away all the pharmacies in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. There was only one local hospital in the area, and it was impossible for the staff to prescribe all the necessary medicine for the vast and sudden influx of patients. The Tzu Chi medical station opened six days after the disaster, and within three weeks had served over 12,000 people.



On the afternoon of December 28, the Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center received instructions from the Tzu Chi Foundation to immediately begin preparing to send medicine and medical equipment to tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka.

What kind of medicine was needed for the survivors? With such short notice, the hospital decided on a one-month supply of medicines typically used in the emergency room and some medicine for dermatosis and chronic illnesses. A few hours later, over 150 boxes of medicine, weighing a total of 1,800 kilograms (3,968 pounds), were packed and ready to go.

The first Tzu Chi medical team left on December 29 and reached Hambantota on the evening of December 30. Including flights, transfers and connecting car rides, the team had traveled for close to 30 hours.

The medical station was opened the next morning! Four outpatient services and a pharmacy were well equipped so that the station could be run like a small clinic.

Lending help to survivors

Many people were already waiting in line before the clinic opened at 9 each morning. Injuries included minor abrasions, contusions, and lacerations that needed small operations. There were also more serious cases, as some of the tsunami's victims had been thrown around by the tidal waves and were injured from head to toe. As a consequence, their treatments were very complicated and time-consuming. Other survivors showed signs of severe psychological trauma because some or all of their family members had died: they couldn't sleep at night, they wept uncontrollably throughout the day, and most of the time they appeared absentminded and in a deep state of shock. In addition to careful treatment, the Tzu Chi doctors offered physical comfort to the survivors through simple gestures, such as holding the patients' hands, patting their shoulders or even by giving hugs.

People trusted and praised the Tzu Chi medical station and word spread quickly. Patients would come from as far as 30 kilometers (19 miles) away to be treated, and the number of patients rose from 254 people on the first day to 800 people per day two weeks later.

Wang Li-hsin, vice superintendent of the Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center and also the leader of the first Tzu Chi medical team, pointed out that medical services in Sri Lanka are free, so people don't have to pay any fees to see doctors and obtain medicine. However, they do have to pay for examinations or for more expensive drugs. The tsunami swept away all of the pharmacies in Hambantota, and due to the sudden vast influx of patients, the local hospital could not provide all of the necessary medicine. Therefore, the Tzu Chi medical station became the only alternative hope for local patients.

Dr. Wang remarked that the team brought with them a significant amount of high-quality medicine. Supplies of antibiotics and medicine for patients with high blood pressure and diabetes were well stocked so as to fill the gap in the local medical services.

Dr. Wang specializes in infections. When someone with inflamed eyes came to the clinic, Dr. Wang would ascertain if the patient was a farmer or fisherman. If so, it was likely that the patient would have been in touch with dirty water and would probably have contracted leptospira. Once this diagnosis was confirmed, Dr. Wang would prescribe penicillin or tetracycline, which would effectively cure the condition.

The Tzu Chi medical station was small but well-equipped. It filled the gap in local medical services and also provided 15 boxes of medicine to nearby Hambantota Base Hospital.

This 400-bed hospital was the largest in Hambantota and also the only existing hospital within a diameter of 250 kilometers (155 miles). The hospital originally had 50 doctors, but the tsunami had killed two doctors and two nurses, putting more strain on the hospital's already insufficient manpower.

The hospital staff spoke of how in the first three days after the tsunami, over 900 patients had jammed the hospital, filling every inch of space in the building. Some seriously injured patients had been transferred to other places. Patients who stayed behind had to wait for a week before receiving any treatment, as all of the supplies from the central government had been used up so quickly. The Tzu Chi medical station helped bring much needed assistance to these patients.

Multiple roles of doctors and nurses

Many patients were suffering from upper trachea infections as a result of choking on water, so all the cold syrup was used up in under three days. Fortunately, the medical team had also brought with them many alternatives. However, for many of the younger patients, the pharmacist had to cut pills in half, grind them into powder, and add water to dilute them to the right amount. The whole process was very time-consuming and it was impossible to meet the demands of the waiting patients.

To prevent patients from becoming annoyed and impatient as they waited, Tu Ping-hsu, a deputy chief nurse from Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital who was helping at the pharmacy, suddenly had an idea: while shaking some medicine, he purposely shook it very forcibly as if he was making a cocktail. Laughter erupted from the children watching him, and for a moment or two this joy alleviated the misery of the waiting patients.

Dr. Wu Chao-chun also helped out at the pharmacy. When a particular medicine was out of stock and an alternative medicine had to be used, he would immediately notify all of the doctors. The pharmacists then did not have to run between the doctors and the pharmacy to confirm prescriptions, and instead they could concentrate their efforts on dispensing medicines to patients with as little delay as possible.

Fixed and mobile clinics

Surgeon Li Wei-che remembered 11-year-old Supun Tharanga very clearly. The boy had been pulled into the sea and swept along for two kilometers (1.2 miles) before being rescued. Rocks, lumber, and other debris had kept hitting him and caused a significant number of serious injuries. On the young boy's left hand, a large section of flesh was missing. When his father first accompanied Tharanga to the free clinic, the boy's entire body was covered with injuries, and a wound on his left elbow was cut open to the bone. He was also suffering from a serious infection.

When Dr. Li and an anesthesiologist tried to anesthetize the boy before treatment, three adults had to hold the struggling boy down. At every injection he received, Tharanga would let out a bloodcurdling shriek of terror.

This young boy, who could at first endure no pain, came the following day to have his dressing changed, and by the third day his fear had vanished completely; his mischievous behavior even made the doctor smile.

In addition to treating patients at the station, the medical team also carried out mobile clinics, so that they could help people who could not travel, and at the same time learn more about the survivors' lives in order to find out how to help them more thoroughly.

Doctors and nurses simply carried their medical kits with them to villages and neighborhoods and set up tables and chairs under trees or in the open to treat any patients who showed up. They also went to refugee shelters to see if anyone required their medical services.

Once when plastic surgeon Chang Chia-ning was treating a patient outside in the open air, the scorching sun was burning her scalp and she was sweating profusely. It was hard work, but Dr. Chang said that her sweating was more bearable than the patient's bleeding. If she could help the patient, her discomfort meant nothing.

Dr. Yang Chih-kuo of the respiratory therapy department noticed a woman with an emaciated face and grieving expression and knew instantly that the woman was suffering from severe psychological trauma. Her three children had been killed in the tsunami. The woman had not eaten in three days; sometimes she would weep inconsolably and at other times she would stay completely silent.

Dr. Yang gave her a sedative shot. While he was pondering what to do next, the manager of the company where the woman worked approached and said that he would like to pay for her future medical costs. The manager asked the doctor to prescribe all the necessary medicines and nutritional supplements so that he could continue to buy them later on.

"We could understand the woman's grief," said Dr. Yang, "but I was touched that someone was willing to help her." He added that the medical services were only a temporary measure; what was far more important was that the survivors helped one another to overcome the tragedy that had affected them all.

Training local medical volunteers

Before the first medical team returned to Taiwan, the second team, composed of Tzu Chi members from Singapore and Malaysia, arrived to take over. The third team arrived from Taiwan on January 11. They too provided fixed-location free clinics and handed out 500 family-size medical kits.

Dr. Lin Shinn-zong, superintendent of the Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center and the leader of the third medical team, estimated that since there was a limited number of medical kits and most people couldn't read the instructions in either English or Chinese, the best recipients would be people with a higher education, who could understand English. These people would then teach others how to use the kits properly and avoid the danger of misusing the drugs. Therefore, most of the medical kits were given to teachers.

Hambantota School, which was located right next to the Tzu Chi medical station, had 2,000 elementary and secondary students, of which 150 students, along with three teachers, were killed in the tsunami. Some of the surviving students would study at school in the morning and then volunteer at the Tzu Chi station in the afternoon.

On the morning of January 17, Dr. Lin, Ms. Huang Hsing-chao, director of administration at Yuli Tzu Chi Hospital, and Tzu Chi volunteer Lu Fang-chuan delivered the medical kits to the school. They first instructed K.S. Dilrukshi, a computer science teacher, how to correctly use the thermometer and the eight kinds of medicine contained in the kit before gathering all of the other teachers together in a classroom. Dr. Lin gave each one of the teachers a medical kit and, with the help of Dilrukshi's interpretation, explained to each of them how to use the medicines correctly.

Dr. Lin opened his mouth, bent his back, and demonstrated how to use the medicines for head-ache, sore throat, backache, cough, and other sicknesses. The combination of his explanations and body language allowed the teachers to master the kits very quickly. Dr. Lin even gave them a small test afterwards to test their knowledge, and all of them provided the right answers.

In the month between the end of 2004, when the first medical team arrived, and January 24, when the fifth medical team arrived, 85 medical professionals helped over 10,000 Sri Lankan people. Until local medical services return to normal, Tzu Chi will continue to provide its love and service in this stricken country.