Taiwan's First Hospital Rebuilt Under Hazardous Building Renewal Program: Mennonite Christian Hospital's Health Management Building Opens

(Central News Agency, Hualien County, June 11) The buildings of Mennonite Christian Hospital are nearly half a century old and have endured several major earthquakes in Hualien. As seismic reinforcements are insufficient to meet safety requirements, the structures will be demolished and rebuilt, making it Taiwan's first hospital to undergo reconstruction under the hazardous building renewal program. The original rehabilitation and treatment clinics have been relocated to the newly built Health Management Building, continuing to safeguard the health of residents in eastern Taiwan.

Mennonite Christian Hospital held a plaque unveiling and thanksgiving ceremony for the Health Management Building today. Witnessed by Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei, donors, partners, and medical staff, the new healthcare base was officially inaugurated. The building took four years to construct and cost over NT$800 million. It integrates diverse services including health checkups, rehabilitation therapy, a postpartum care center, hemodialysis (dialysis), and early childhood intervention, providing comprehensive healthcare for all ages.

Hospital Superintendent Chuang Yung-piao stated in a joint media interview that due to safety concerns from aging buildings, the hospital plans to demolish the Xinshi Building and Ren'ai Building by the end of the year and rebuild a modern comprehensive medical complex. The total project cost is estimated at approximately NT$3 billion, with a construction period of about 3 to 4 years.

The rehabilitation therapy, hemodialysis, early childhood intervention, and administrative spaces originally in the Xinshi and Ren'ai buildings have already been relocated to the new Health Management Building. Outpatient and inpatient services in the Ping'an and Enci buildings will continue as usual.

Lai Shih-chung, Chairman of the Mennonite Christian Hospital Medical Foundation, stated that Mennonite has been deeply rooted in the Hualien-Taitung area for nearly 80 years, always serving the community with the spirit of loving one's neighbor as oneself. From early mobile medical services in remote areas to today's health base combining preventive care, child development, rehabilitation medicine, and elderly care, what has changed is the service model, but the commitment to protecting life remains unchanged.

The Health Management Building has two floors underground and five floors above ground, with a total construction cost exceeding NT$800 million. The hospital self-funded NT$600 million, with the remainder coming from the public, corporate groups, and long-term donors supporting Mennonite. During the construction period, over 15,000 people responded to donation calls, accumulating more than 50,000 donations. From corporate institutions to ordinary citizens, many participated in this medical construction project in various ways, converging into a vital force for protecting health in eastern Taiwan. Every brick laid carries not only the vision of medical development but also the blessings and expectations of all sectors of society for the people of Hualien and Taitung. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150611