Tzu Chi General Hospital

In 1978, during the planning for the construction of the Tzu Chi General Hospital in Hualien, Taiwan, Master Cheng Yen had the following thoughts:

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation needed to have its own general hospital in order to provide comprehensive assistance.
   
4. 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.