Date: August 17th,2010 (Tuesday)
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital: 24 Years of Caring with Love 心血砌成的醫院
Today is the 24th anniversary of our Tzu Chi Hospital in Hualien.
Looking back to the time when we were building the hospital, we encountered many difficulties and went through much hardship.
Despite all this, every time when I was in dire need of help, many people generously gave me a helping hand.
They gave of their time and effort to help me build this hospital.
So, this hospital was truly built with the sweat and blood of many people.
On the day when we held the groundbreaking ceremony for our hospital, many Buddhist Dharma masters came to give us their well-wishes.
With the blessings of so many Dharma masters as well as many others in society, our first hospital was built in Hualien to serve people in eastern Taiwan where medical resources were lacking.
Not only that, but our doctors also set an example by caring for their patients with love and excellent medical skills.
In 2002, the hospital was upgraded to the medical center, which was indeed a remarkable achievement.
Our hospital is 24 years old today.
To thank our medical staff for their hard work and to celebrate the anniversary of the hospital, on August 8, our hospital staff, volunteers, as well as people in the community joined in a run which started from our hospital in Hualien before dawn.
When they arrived at the Jing Si Adode, the day already broke.
Just as the runners had set out in the dark and arrived at the Adobe in daylight, Hualien has transformed from a medically insufficient area to a place where loving doctors have gathered at the hospital we built to provide medical services for the people in eastern Taiwan.
See how profound the meaning behind the run was.
For the long run this time, there were two special participants, a pair of baby twin sisters from the Philippines.
When they arrived in Taiwan four months ago, their mother had to carry both of them together, because they were conjoined twins.
After their surgery in June, they’ve now been separated.
So, on the day of the run, they were pushed in two separate prams all they way to the Abode.
They are indeed very adorable.
I’ve heard that now that they’ve been separated, they don’t like being held close together because when they were still conjoined, it was impossible for either one of them to turn or move freely on their own.
It must have been very frustrating.
So, now that they’re separated, when anyone holds them close together, they always try to push each other away.
How interesting that is. But I told the two nurses looking after them that they have the duty to correct their behaviors by teaching them that although their bodies have been separated, they must still love and care for each other and not push each other away.
This is what the twins should learn.
See how this pair of adorable twins have been successfully separated at our hospital in Hualien and can now move about freely on their own.
Seeing them, we are reminded of the conjoined twins, Lea and Rachel, who also came from the Philippines to receive their separation surgery at our hospital in Hualien.
They are the first set of conjoined twins. We helped separate in Taiwan in 2003.
I still remember being very worried during their separation surgery.
Back then, our volunteers in the Philippines also came to Taiwan with them.
When they were in Taiwan, our medical team gave them a lot of care and love.
They are now attending elementary school and are very adorable.
This is how our hospital in Hualien has helped patients from other countries.
Both these conjoined twins I’ve mentioned are from the Philippines.
Also, do you still remember the two Filipino girls with clubfeet?
They also received surgery at our hospital in Haulien.
There was also a patient from Malaysia who suffered from elephantiasis in his leg that had brought him unspeakable pain.
Despite being middle aged, he still needed his mother to look after him.
In 2004 alone, we treated many cases. One was Irhamidi, a body from Indonesia who had a tumor on his nose. The surgery had been a difficult one.
There was also Sofyan who had a tumor on his face due to a rare disease as well as Novemthree.
Everyone must still remember Novemthree whose tumor had distorted his face.
There were also the brother and sister from Singapore who suffered from a rare progressive degenerative neurologic disease that causes contortions and involuntary movements.
So, Tzu Chi volunteers in Singapore brought them to our hospital in Hualien for the treatment know as Deep Brain Stimulation where electrodes are inserted deep in the brain to control the spasms.
So, throughout this period from 2003 to 2004, many sufferers of these rare conditions from different countries, who were poor and ill, were brought to Tzu Chi for treatment.
These cases truly received much help and support from our medical team and volunteers.
This is how Tzu Chi’s Medical and Charity Missions are carried out together to care for people not only from abroad, but also at home.
A few years ago, Dr. Liu at our hospital in Hualien had a patient suffering spinocerebellar degeneration.
This patient owned a large piece of land and ran a bed and breakfast.
But, because of his physical limitations, he had great difficulty farming his land and running his bed and breakfast.
So, as he was having problems earning a living, apart form caring for his health, Dr. Liu also helped him to support himself.
See how Dr. Liu not only took care of his health, but also made sure he could earn a living.
Dr. Liu rented the land from him and helped to farm for him.
In fact, Dr. Liu even went online to help sell the produce and promote the bed and breakfast.
This is how our doctors have set an example of Tzu Chi’s medical culture of humanity ever since our first hospital was set up in Hualien.
Hopefully, when the hospital celebrates its 25th anniversary next year, all these touching stories and patients that the hospital has treated can be complied into a book.
Indeed, all these toughing stories are all part of Tzu Chi’s sutra treasury as what happens in the hospital every day becomes Tzu Chi’s history.
Today is the 24th anniversary of our hospital in Hualien, a very important day in the history of Tzu Chi’s Medical Mission.
I am very grateful indeed.
(Source: Da Ai TV 人間菩提)
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