hawaiipublicradio.... · 23 hours ago

'They Have heart': Honolulu Medical Clinic Marks a Decade of Serving Immigrant Fishermen | Hawai'i Public Radio

For a decade, volunteer doctors and interpreters have brought free medical care to immigrant fishermen confined to Honolulu Harbor-men whose legal status prevents them from stepping beyond the docks for healthcare, food, or even a moment in church. What began when Pastor Jerry Saludez learned that some fishermen "had not heard their name said to them in weeks, some who hadn't heard their language in years," has grown into a twice-weekly clinic serving the workers who catch most of the fish that stays in Hawaiʻi. Alex, a Filipino fisherman with diabetes, was initially hesitant to seek help after being treated as "one of those aliens," but four years later he still returns, grateful that "they have heart, they sacrifice their time to come here." The clinic reveals something essential about belonging: that dignity begins when someone speaks your name, and care becomes possible when we remember that illness, like humanity itself, knows no borders.