Health Screening Ship Services to Remote Islands of Palau
Peace Winds launched its first health screening ship, called the “Kenshin” (Japanese for “check-up”), in September 2021 to serve the Republic of Palau, a small country 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 national 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 and cancer have been on the rise in recent years, and many Palauans don’t have access to healthcare to prevent, detect, or treat 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 Kenshin health ship where they receive free check-ups for metrics like height, weight, and blood pressure. The Kenshin is also equipped to provide more in-depth tests such as blood and urine screenings or even EKGs and ultrasounds.
In addition to providing health screenings, the Peace Winds Palau team is working to educate Palau’s public about healthy habits to mitigate the incidents of NCDs in the first place. This includes hosting a booth at Palau’s night markets where residents can meet the Kensing mascot, Toktang the surgeonfish, 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 read updates on our blog by clicking here or scrolling to the bottom of this page.
