Rural Medicine, First Village Dentist in 100 Years

SCRIPT:

Rural Medicine
First Village Dentist in 100 Years
For Dr. Pan Wen-Liang,
gently comforting young patients
is part of a day’s work.
He has practiced medicine for over 30 years
and was influenced by stories
of Mackay pulling teeth
and sharing the gospel.
The stories planted the seed of rural
medical mission in his heart.
Leaving his practice in the north,
Dr. Pan packed up his equipment
and moved to rural Taitung.
When he first arrived, the locals
lacked proper dental hygiene awareness,
so they were reluctant to see a dentist.
So he and his wife,
Ruan Mei-Ling, a nurse,
proactively visited each village,
providing medical care and building trust.
Grace Dentist Pan Wen-liang
Their socio-economic status
affects the kids’ oral health
so some have lots of cavities.
There are 5 villages
in Taitung’s Yanping district,
but Dr. Pan is the only dentist.
Over ten years ago,
after Mrs. Pan was diagnosed with cancer,
the couple decided to devote themselves
to rural medical missions.
The first house you see
when entering this Bunun village
in Taitung is Grace Dental Clinic.
Mrs. Pan Ruan Mei-ling
At our wedding we talked about this
(rural medical mission)
But never actually took that step.
Grace Dentist Pan Wen-liang
While I was practicing in Yonghe
I knew it was densely populated.
Within 200 meters in every direction
there were already other dentists.
My practice did well, but I thought
other places might need me more.
Mrs. Pan Ruan Mei-ling
It wasn’t till we got to Taitung
and settled in that it hit me;
I was finally walking the road
I had promised God I would walk in.
While my wife was receiving chemo
was probably our weakest point
and this motivated us
to go to a place that needs us
rather than where we need to be.
There were both tears and laughter,
but in the end we’re just grateful.
I don’t know what else to say.
The people here said
there’s been no dentist here
in the past 100 years.
So they weren’t use to
having their teeth checked.
The wouldn’t go to the dentist
until their teeth started hurting.
Patient Mr. Wang
Before they came
it wasn’t convenient.
For Dr. Pan, the best reward
is when a villager,
not on the appointment list,
suddenly appears at the door due to a toothache
Grace Dentist Pan Wen-liang
A girl had been in an accident
and one tooth was loose
and sticking out a bit.
I tried to secure it in place
because if more than an hour passes
there’s no way to put it back.
Luckily, she found me in that time
and didn’t have to pull the tooth.
The Pans have been sustained by the motto,
God’s grace is sufficient for us,
throughout their journey of
rural medical practice,
demonstrating their wholehearted
commitment to serving others.
GOODTV News

Story Provided By:
Corin Tung, Good TV News

Producing Organization
https://www.goodtv.tv

Recording Location
Taiwan

Reporter / Producer
GOOD TV Journalist Kong Qing-ya

Organization featured in this Story
https://www.goodtv.tv

People Interviewed and their Titles
Grace Dentist Pan Wen-liang
Mrs. Pan Ruan Mei-ling
Patient Mr. Wang