Address: No. 707, Sec. 3, Chung Yang Rd. Hualien 970, Taiwan, R.O.C. 970 Tel: 886-3-856-1825; 886-3-857-8600 (manual registration);  　　886-856-2016 (medical consultation) Fax: 886-3-856-0977   Email: yilee@tzuchi.com.tw   Web: www.tzuchi.com.tw

　　Opened in August 1986, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital was accredited by the Taiwan Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation as a “Medical Center” in 2002. ISO certification came that same year. Today, the hospital operates nearly 1,000 beds and employs more than 300 physicians and surgeons. The hospital’s commitment to holistic medicine means that interdisciplinary methods of diagnosis and treatment are used with many patients.

　　Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital performs a wide range of procedures, from organ transplantations to laser cosmetic surgeries and high-tech health screenings. Other specialty areas include stroke treatment, stem cell research, malignant tumor treatment, and orthopedic surgery (especially total knee replacements, ankylosing spondylitis corrections, and minimally invasive spinal surgeries).

　　Its numerous research centers include the Neuro-Medical Scientific Center, which provides a stereotactic navigation system for localization of brain vascular diseases and tumors and GammaKnife radiosurgery for brain tumors. Surgeons in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery perform coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG), off-pump (beating-heart) CABG, peripheral artery bypass grafting, lung cancer surgery, esophageal reconstruction, esophageal varices repair, VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery ), balloon angioplasty, stenting, and more. Noninvasive procedures for diagnosis and management include echocardiography, treadmill ECG testing, and 24-hour ambulatory ECG recording.

　　The Voiding Dysfunctional Center under the Department of Urology has achieved international standards in both research and clinical medicine, continuing to develop new cures for voiding dysfunctional patents to relieve their pain. Diagnostic and therapeutic methods include renal sonograms, video examinations, and endoscope surgery when necessary.

　　In 1993, the Stem Cell Center, a bone marrow registry to save people with blood diseases, was established. More than 280,000 donors are now registered. In its fifteen years of operation, the center has helped find donors for more than 1,000 patients in 23 countries.

　　Specialties

•Cardiology and thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
•Organ transplantation
•Orthopedic surgery
•Cancer prevention
•Deep-brain stimulation (for Parkinson’s disease)
•Voiding dysfunction surgery
•Bone marrow transplantation
•High-tech health check
•Laser surgery

　　Services Provided for International Patients

•Free pickup services from Hualien Airport or Hualien Railway Station
•Arrangements for meals and accommodations

　　Achievements

•National Innovation Award Taiwan-Hospice Care Team, 1999
•National Innovation Award Taiwan -The United U2 Hip System , 2002
•National Innovation Award Taiwan -Ostomy Drainable Pouch, 2006

　　Feature Story

　　Tzu Chi Goes International

　　TIMA (Tzuchi International Medical Association) began spreading the seeds of compassion around the world in 2003, starting with the successful separation of conjoined twins from the Philippines. After hours of complicated surgery, conjoined twins Lea and Rachel were finally separated and able to have their own lives.

　　In the summer of 2004, a five-year-old boy named Novemthree came to Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital from Batam, Indonesia. He had gigantiform cementoma, a tumor that covered his face. The tumor’s massive weight severely altered his facial features. After five difficult and complex operations, the boy was able to smile once again. This “mission impossible” accomplishment of the medical team gained high praise from Mayo Clinic’s (US) medical specialists.

　　In May 2004, the Pan siblings, Jing-yang and Zi-qi from Singapore, underwent treatment for Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome, an inherited disorder of the brain and nervous system. By applying deep-brain stimulation with daily physical therapy, in just half a year Jing-yang was able to use his legs to walk, and Zi-qi greatly improved her ability to walk without assistance.