Taipei: More than 200 migrant workers attended a free health check event staffed by medical personnel and volunteers from the Tzu Chi International Medical Association at Taipei Main Station on Sunday. The event offered preliminary health checks, including ultrasound and dental examinations, as well as consultations in specialties such as orthopedics and gynecology, according to Ho Fang-tsun, a Taipei City government official who helped organize the event.

According to Focus Taiwan, Surya Dewi, an Indonesian domestic worker who has lived in Taiwan for 14 years, said the event was "very helpful because sometimes we don't have time to go to a clinic." The 51-year-old said she had her heart, teeth, and eyes checked, marking her first time attending the event. Istiyani, an Indonesian caregiver, mentioned receiving acupuncture for lower back and hand pain caused by her caregiving duties. "It doesn't hurt anymore," said the Taoyuan-based worker, who has resided in Taiwan for eight years.

Ho stated that the office began collaborating with Tzu Chi in 2004, recognizing that many of Taipei's approximately 50,000 migrant workers are live-in family caregivers with limited opportunities to seek medical treatment due to their work schedules. "Family caregivers look after the health of our people, and we also hope to look after the health of migrant workers," Ho remarked.

With over 20,000 visits recorded since the program's inception and each event this year drawing more than 200 participants, Ho emphasized that the service extends beyond initial screenings. "At our previous session [in June], we found that one migrant worker had about eight or nine uterine fibroids," Ho revealed. "We followed up with her and assisted her in getting further examinations at a major hospital."

Sunday's event was the third of four planned for 2026, with the final one set for Oct. 4, also at Taipei Main Station. The service is open to migrant workers legally residing in Taiwan, including those employed outside Taipei, provided they bring their Alien Resident Certificates (ARCs).