Healthcare for Palau’s Most Remote Islands
Peace Winds launched its first health screening ship, called the Kensing (Japanese for “check-up”), in September 2021 to serve the Republic of Palau, a small country made up of about 340 islands that is located less than 1,900 miles south of Japan. Palau is experiencing a shortage of medical personnel and health facilities in the remote islands of the country. The only hospital is located in Koror, Palau’s main commercial center, leaving residents of more remote islands without access to basic healthcare. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension have been on the rise in recent years, and many Palauans don’t have access to healthcare to prevent, detect, or treat these diseases.
The Peace Winds Palau team is working to bring health screenings to some of Palau’s most remote islands. Our doctors and nurses welcome patients aboard the Kensing health ship where they receive free check-ups for metrics like height, weight, and blood pressure. The Kensing is also equipped to provide more in-depth tests such as blood and urine screenings or even EKGs and ultrasounds.
On October 1, 2024 Peace Winds’ new medical ship, the Kensing II, was unveiled in Palau at a ceremony with Palau President Surangel Whipps, Jr. and other top leaders. This larger, better-equipped ship replaces the previous one in its mission to bring healthcare to Palau’s remote Southwest Islands.
In addition to providing health screenings with the help of the Kensing, the Peace Winds Palau team works to educate Palau’s public about healthy habits to mitigate the incidents of NCDs in the first place. This includes hosting booths at Palau’s night markets where residents can meet the Kensing mascot, Toktang the surgeonfish; receive basic health checks like blood pressure tests; and speak to doctors and nurses about how to best manage their health. You can also find healthy recipe videos on the Peace Winds Palau Facebook page!
To read project reports and make a donation to the Palau health ship project, please visit our GlobalGiving page here. You can also click the project updates at the bottom of this page.
