Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

When people are ill and in pain, especially elderly patients living alone and in remote areas, they cannot seek medical care. Feeling the pain of others as their own, Tzu Chi has built its eighth hospital in Taiwan, in Sanyi, Miaoli county in the west central part of the island.

Affinity

Sanyi is about 400 meters above sea level. It has a typical hilly terrain, with most houses built along the hillside. With no local hospital, it has for years been inconvenient for local residents to seek medical treatment. Even more unfortunate are elderly with chronic diseases; they have to see the doctor frequently, which is very troublesome. Therefore, local people have been looking forward to the Sanyi Tzu Chi Chinese Medicine Hospital for a long time.

20 years ago, at the request of the villagers, Master Cheng Yen, founder of Tzu Chi, proposed a medical center in Sanyi. However, due to the government's medical policy and the constraints of the environment, there were many difficulties. After working hard for a long time, the county government and Tzu Chi volunteers finally realized the dream of building a hospital there.

Opening

On December 12, the Sanyi Tzu Chi Chinese Medicine Hospital (STCCMH) held an opening ceremony. In the Tzu Chi medical system, it is the eighth hospital in Taiwan, and the only one exclusively using traditional Chinese medicine, while taking into account the integration of Chinese and Western medicine.

On the 13th, it started service for local people. Before that, over two months, the Tzu Chi medical staff of STCCMH made over 160 home visits. From December 5 to 9, they saw 765 patients during a 5-day free clinic, with an average of over 160 patients per day.

Doctors saw patients in the morning and held discussions in the afternoon. They also worked with the team that provides home safety for the elderly, senior day-care centers, and doctors of western medicine.

They are bringing Tzu Chi’s medical mission back to the community and home level and taking the initiative to provide medical services. In this way, they are setting an example for future doctors of STCCMH.

Integrate Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

In the future, STCCMH will continue to promote a combination of Chinese and Western medicine and become a comprehensive Chinese medicine hospital.

In her congratulatory message, Master Cheng Yen mentioned that traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the healing of a disease before it happens. So, in the future, STCCMH will work with Tzu Chi’s missions of charity, education and humanities to protect the physical and mental health of Miaoli people. She prayed that, through their skillful hands and loving hearts, the medical staff will relieve the serious illness of the patients, take care of the health of the villagers, and make the Sanyi Tzu Chi Park a medical treasure that integrates traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Lin Chin-lon(林俊龍), CEO of Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, witnessed the hard work of the local Tzu Chi volunteers and the resources given by many compassionate people who together built this hospital with love.

Sense of mission

As Sanyi is surrounded by mountains, it was truly hard in the past for local people to see a doctor. The residents are few. Now, inspired by a sense of mission, the Superintendent of STCCMH, Dr. Yeh Jia-zhou(葉家舟), is stationed in this mountainous area to care for its people.

STCCMH is not big but very heartwarming -- doctors alleviate the suffering of patients and Tzu Chi volunteers comfort patients with sincere love and care, both physically and mentally.

Nothing is more valuable than life. Doctors devote their life to saving the lives of others. Their spirit is truly admirable. We express our gratitude to medical staff and volunteers for nourishing love and respect in their hearts to safeguard people’s lives and health.

To know more about Tzu Chi Medical Mission click here.

Article: Meichen Liao