Written by: Tseng Ching-Fang and Ding Se-Gii
Translated by: Muse Liu
Proofread by: Agness Tsao

In the strong wind and rain which sometimes arise and sometimes break due to the severe typhoon Meranti, the 2016 Tzu Chi International Medical Association Annual Convention was inaugurated and joyfully kicked off on September 14th morning at the Sutra Lecture Hall in Hualien Jing Si building along with the thunderous applause in whole venue.

At the beginning, MC Lin Yilin lively greeted the participants both in Chinese and English and brought out of a simple math test with the annual theme of this year - Tzu Chi Foundation 50, Tzu Chi Hospital 30, TIMA 20 years. "How the number be ended with 50 + 30 + 20?” It turned out that the three numbers add up to exactly equal to 100, a symbol of one hundred full devotion Tzu Chi has been doing worldwide in the missions of charity, medical care and free clinics.

Thanks to the accompany of six Masters from Jing Si Abode, Tzu Chi International Medical Association convener – Lin Chin-Lon, MD, National Health Director of the Ministry of Health & Welfare – Wang Ying-Wei, CEO of Tzu Chi Education Tsai Ping-Kun as well as Superintendent of Hualien Tzu Chi hospital – Lin Shinn-Zong and his high ranking officers expressed their warm welcome to the guests and TIMA members of 620 coming from 20 countries/nations.

In addition to the Representative of each country took the turn to be on the stage and waved their flags, their members also stood up from their seats and waved. The venue is full of flying flags and the continued applause. Year 2016 TIMA theme banner " Tzu Chi Foundation 50, Tzu Chi Hospital 30, TIMA 20 years " was shown in front of the attendants through Brother Hu and Prof. Cuma from the newly established Medical Associations in Turkey this year.

Convener Lin Chin-Lon, MD, who is also the CEO of TIMA, firstly thank to all the teams who organized this event then followed by fluent English, welcome all medical people from around the world back to the spiritual home - Hualien, "Today we are gathering to review all the positive results and devotion Tzu Chi had done over 50 years while this is the 30th year for Tzu Chi hospital and TIMA’s 20th year.

TIMA has been established with 170,000 members in 22 countries/nations in the world. 11,000 free clinics were held and more than 2.5 million people of patients were benefited. CEO Lin reinforced: "Our goal is very simple, as long as there is the need from the patient, our medical team will go without hesitation even the remote and desolate place, to which our members worldwide will try their best to devote themselves. He is grateful for the loves from the members to shine the health in the global. "Let’s us open our hearts to exchange the experience and take it back home and bring more members back for reunion next year in our spiritual place."

The Supt. of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital - Lin Shinn-Zong, as the head of hospital, welcomed all members from the world. Supt. Lin mentioned that the Master expects the Hualien Tzu Chi hospital always makes strides forward to "Upgrade the quality and Train more professionalisms". To upgrade the quality means the internationalization and therefore, he expects more than 300 physicians and 700 nurses & management staff in Hualien Tzu Chi hospital to learn and interact with all members from the world.

After the baptism of opening ceremony, all members who just safely arrived in Hualien in the late night before the hit of severe Typhoon are in high spirits and smiling and are ready for the next three and half days of studying and sharing.