Written by Jin-Yan Yang Photographed by Zhong-Hua Chen Translated by Mindy Chen

Dr. Ho Tsung-Jung, Vice Supt. of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, asked the audience, “When will go to see a Chinese Medicine doctor?” The audience responded enthusiastically.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long developing history in China. However, people usually use Chinese medicine for optimizing their health, alleviating sore and pain, chronical diseases and sub-health. Is that all for Chinese medicine?

The TCM seminar was held in the afternoon of September 11 at Jing Si Hall, Hualien. In the beginning of the seminar, Dr. Ho Tsung-Jung, Vice Supt. of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital and Director of Chinese Medicine Dept., asked the audience, “When will you go to see a Chinese Medicine doctor?”

Some audience replied, “When I feel sore, pain, or uncomfortable but the health condition has not shown obvious symptoms yet.” Dr. Ho stated, according to a report published on Common Health Magazine, that People in Taiwan usually visit Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors when they want to optimize their health or when the Western medicine has a negative effect of healing.

However, is that all for Chinese Medicine? Dr. Ho expressed that in Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, for example, Traditional Chinese Medicine Department not only has the outpatient clinic but also cooperates with several Western Medicine Departments to treat patients. What’s more, it also offer medical services in communities and participates in the Government’s medical plan.

In an emergency situation, the patient will be, especially, treated by the combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine within 72 hours. Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors can also treat patients in an emergency room or ICU. If the patient’s blood stasis can be promptly taken care with Chinese medicine, the patient might get well more quickly. Currently, TCM doctors usually involve in the treatment of stroke with the acupuncture combined with rehabilitation. 

In recent years, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital aggressively promotes the Traditional Chinese-and-Western Medicine treatment when patients are in an emergency situation. People often think that patients in an emergency situation must be treated by only Western Medicine doctors. However, in Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Dr. He proves that patients with acute chest pain, palpitation, stroke, joint pain or soft-tissue pain and so on can be treated by Chinese medicine doctors to swiftly alleviate the patients’ pains so that the patients might be discharged from the hospital earlier.

Sports Medicine Promotion

Dr. Ho learns martial arts during his childhood because of his father’s demand. He was nicknamed as “Ip Man in the Medical Circle.” He obtained the certification of Tai Chi National Level Coach. Therefore, he has aggressively promoted Sports Medicine in TCM Department since he serviced in Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital in 2018. He introduced other doctors to be the medical personnel in the national sports teams going abroad for competitions; besides, he himself also became the medical personnel in the National Sports Team going to Jakarta for the 2018 Asian Games. He has treated a contestant of the Nanquan Game, who was seriously injured during a competition. However, the contestant won the gold medal at the Nanquan World Cup two months after he recovered from his injury because of Dr. Ho’s treatment.

At the end of the seminar, Dr. Ho shared a medical video to show that TCM can help patients in an emergency situation as well as take care of diseases which cannot be treated with Western Medicine. In the film, Dr. Ho used a special method originated from Wudang Martial Arts School to cure an elderly woman who suffered from lower back pain for a long time. Besides, he also cured another woman who woke up after she was in a coma for one week but couldn’t open her left eye. The woman went to see a Western Medicine doctor; the doctor suggested that she seek help in the TCM Department. In the beginning, she was reluctant to see a Chinese Medicine doctor. However, after the two-month Chinese Medicine treatment, she could open her left eye. Dr. Ho said, “The Chinese Medicine doctor cured her with a blood stasis therapy.”

Another patient’s left leg was about to be amputated due to Necrotizing Fasciitis. Fortunately, his left leg was saved after being treated with acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. The three cases demonstrated that in addition to maintain health, TCM can also help patients with acute diseases.

Dr. Ho reminded the audience that the culture of TCM is “Nature and Humanity.” The case study and research is also a must for reaching a better TCM clinical performance.

Venerable Dharma Master Cheng Yen always emphasize that TCM must be promoted. In the future, TCM Department of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital will focus on not only Traditional Chinese-and-Western Medicine treatment in emergency situations and Sports Medicine but also Long-Term Care, Nursing Centers and Home Care. TCM Department aims to take care of more elderly people who move difficultly as well as people with disabilities. What’s more, setting up Traditional Chinese-and-Western Medicine wards, TCM wards, and even establishing TCM Hospitals will be the goals to be reached one day in the future.

Vice Supt. Dr. Ho Tsung-Jung mentioned, “Venerable Dharma Master Cheng Yen always emphasizes that Traditional Chinese Medicine must be promoted.”

On the afternoon of September 11, 150 TIMA attendees and volunteers attended the seminar for Traditional Chinese Medicine.