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Tzu Chi General Hospital
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| (Translated by Joy Hsiao) |
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In 1978, during the planning for the construction
of the Tzu Chi General Hospital in Hualien, Taiwan, Master Cheng
Yen had the following thoughts:
- The area between Hualien and Taitung, two
cities on the east coast of Taiwan, lacked a well-equipped hospital.
Due to the lack of proper medical facilities in local institutions,
seriously ill residents of these cities often had to be sent
to Taipei for treatment. As a result of the inconvenience in
transporting patients and the delay in obtaining treatment,
these patients' conditions often degenerated and sometimes lead
to death.
- Security deposits were required at all hospitals
prior to admission for inpatient treatment. It was difficult
for poor patients who needed emergency care to immediately provide
the security deposit. In addition, after these patients were
discharged from the hospital, they were often unable to receive
proper care due to the lack of financial support.
- The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation
needed to have its own general hospital in order to provide
comprehensive assistance.
- Upon the completion of the hospital, the
funding problems for the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi
Foundation could also be resolved.
In 1979, after Master Cheng Yen received
approval from her mentor, Master Yin Shun, to build the hospital,
she and her Tzu Chi volunteers began to search for a construction
site and to raise funds. Construction began in February 1983.
However, in March, construction was forced to stop due to military
requirements for that area. This shocking news caused Master Cheng
Yen to lose sleep and appetite for several days. With the assistance
of the government, a new site was found in April 1986 and construction
began again. The Tzu Chi General Hospital opened on August 17,
1986, and it began to provide inpatient treatments without requiring
a security deposit. The construction was expanded the following
year. The Tzu Chi General Hospital is a complete, well-equipped
facility. In 1999, it passed the evaluation of the Department
of Health and was approved as the first medical center in eastern
Taiwan.
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