About Us

Tzu Chi Medicine Mission

In a small village, a man moans behind a half-closed door. In front of his bed sits his expressionless wife, and a group of laughing children run around. How much helplessness is revealed in this scene? Such scenes were visible everywhere in the 1970s when Master Cheng Yen traveled around southern Taiwan, visiting the poor.

If the head of a household suddenly passes away, the entire burden of the family is loaded on the wife's shoulders, and the children cannot receive a decent education. All sorts of social problems will surface in the future. The Master realized that sickness created poverty and poverty created sickness. Both were linked in a vicious cycle, which left people no way out, especially in Hualien where medical resources were inadequate. Any minor sickness could become a major one, and there were incidents where patients died on their way to a hospital. With the conviction that all lives are equal, the Master wanted to attend to the sick in Eastern Taiwan to eliminate the problem of poverty. Therefore in 1979, hoping too extend the spirit and wisdom of Buddhism forever, she called for the construction of a hospital. Starting from nothing, she began to raise funds. There were periods of obstacles and setbacks, but because of her untiring persistence, many people were touched and gathered to form a stream of love. From the first fund-raising in1979 to the opening of the hospital in 1986, this was a memorable epoch.