In terms of size, facilities and standards, the Veterans General Hospital, located in suburban Taipei, is the Republic of China's leading hospital, and has one of the four top medical schools in Taiwan. Originally established for veterans, the VGH now also treats their dependents, public servants, people covered by labor insurance and members of the general public. Recently the hospital opened a branch in Taichung which is the largest hospital in Central Taiwan.
The VGH occupies an area of 74 hectares, employs more than 4,000 people and has a total of 1,74l beds. Every day, the hospital gives treatment to some 5,000 out-patients and 100 emergency cases.
Established in 1958, the VGH admitted its first patients early in 1959. The Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen, which controls the facility, provides medical services for veterans at nominal charges.
In 1968, when President Chiang Ching-kuo was Minister of Defence, he met with the directors of Free China's military hospitals to discuss the pressing need to establish world standard medical facilities in Taiwan. In response, the deputy director, Chou Chi-hsun, now the hospital's director, presented a five-year plan for the expansion of the VGH at a cost of NT$350 million (US$850,000).
After director Lu Kuang-hsun retired four years ago, Chou was appointed to succeed him, and has since made a big contribution to its development. He provided most of the impetus for the establishment of the Taichung Veterans Hospital, which opened on the 96th anniversary of the birth of the late President Chiang Kai-shek.
Chou pointed out that the main purpose of the Taichung VGH is to serve the needs of the 160,000 veterans and their dependents living in central Taiwan, and to raise medical standards in the area. He hopes that the new hospital will work closely with medical schools in central Taiwan to end the need for people to travel to Taipei for medical care.
Many dedicated people have contributed to the development of the VGH. Lu Kuang-hsun, who died three years ago, had trained many doctors and helped students to acquire further education overseas. He regularly paid calls on patients, gaining their admiration and respect. Dr. Lu was a cardiovascular surgeon who had a voracious appetite for knowledge and was enthusiastic in promoting international exchanges of medical skills. Although administrative duties kept him busy, he made a practice of conducting operations at least once or twice a week so as not to lose his touch. He made careful records of difficult operations for the benefit of posterity.
At the VGH today, there is no shortage of dedicated doctors such as Dr. Lu. They not only save lives and alleviate suffering, but also contribute to the traditions and good reputation of the VGH.
The hospital's reputation ensures that anyone who is sick in Taiwan, from the President to the humblest cab driver, will seek treatment there as a first choice. Director Chou says that the huge number of out-patients coming every day makes it difficult for doctors to find time to engage in research. "We thought of reducing the number of out-patients from 5,000 to 3,000, but we decided against it because our mission, after all, is to serve the public."
The hospital's physical check-ups are so popular that the waiting time can be as long as six months. As well as residents of the ROC, many overseas Chinese seek this service because the two-day check-up is extremely thorough, and reasonably priced at NT$12,000 (US$300). Registration includes payment of a deposit of NT$5,000, but overseas Chinese can register by mail, and no deposit is required.
In 1960, chief heart surgeon Yu Jui-chang pioneered a new kind of heart operation in Taiwan. Six years ago he retired, to be replaced by Cheng Kuo-chi, who is now the most outstanding heart surgeon in the Republic of China. Few doctors are willing to tackle heart surgery because of the risk and the high pressure involved. Dr. Cheng encourages young doctors to pursue this line of work, however, and has already trained five surgeons, two of whom have been assigned to the Taichung VGH.
Dr. Cheng's department has treated a total of 1,300 patients with a success rate of 94 percent. He has also organized a club for former heart patients and their doctors to get together to discuss recovery problems and exchange experiences. Because heart operations are expensive, at least NT$150,000 (US$3750), Dr. Cheng is trying to establish a heart foundation.
The obstetrics and gynecology department at the VGH has its own sperm bank. Explains director of family planning Lin Yu-chiung, "Although having a sperm bank would seem to be contrary to the goal of family planning, it is actually responsible for saving many marriages."
Many of the VGH's patients are aged veterans who suffer varying degrees of paralysis resulting from strokes, and require physical and occupational therapy. For this reason, this area of medicine is well developed at the hospital.
Although nuclear medicine is a new branch of medical science, the VGH began work in the area as early as 1971. The nuclear medicine center was set up by Yeh Ching-hua, a graduate of the Ministry of Defense Medical School who studied nuclear medicine in the U.S. and later taught at the Stanford Medical School.
Closely related to the nuclear medicine department is the cancer treatment center. Cancer is the second biggest cause of death in the Republic of China, but Dr. Chen Kuang-yao points out: "Early detection gives us a better chance of curing cancer, and many of our patients are able to vouch for this."
Chou Chi-hsun Combines Medical and Administrative Skills
The Veterans General Hospital, located in suburban Taipei, is a vast complex with 1,741 beds and a staff of more than 3,400. Hospital director Chou Chi-hsun has his own special method to keep this world-class medical center running like clockwork: "The purpose of a hospital is to save lives and alleviate suffering. To achieve this end we must rely on the skills of experienced doctors. Thus, my first task is to ensure the Veterans General Hospital is well supplied with the best medical personnel."
Chou, a graduate of a military medical school, was originally a general practitioner. In 1946 he was made director of the Air Force Hospital in Shanghai, and since then has studied hospital management in the U.S. and has been the director of a number of hospitals in Taiwan.
Although wages at the Veterans General Hospital cannot compare with those in private practice, Chou attributes the fact that many first class doctors stay on to four factors: facilities and standards are high; the Veterans General Hospital has a medical college, giving doctors opportunities to teach; wages are actually quite adequate; work at the Veterans General Hospital is more challenging than in a private practice.
In Taiwan, hospital directors usually have medical rather than administrative backgrounds, and Chou is no exception. He recalls that after his experience as director of the Air Force Hospital in Shanghai, he felt the need for more administrative skills. Owing to the complexity of modern medicine, Chou believes that no one person can be conversant in all fields. For this reason a large degree of independence is delegated to department chiefs.
Although Chou spends a great deal of energy planning future development, he insists that day-to-day affairs are taken care of to the last detail. He expects the hospital kitchens and toilets to be kept as clean as the operating theaters.
Dr.Shen Li-yang, Chief Surgeon at VGH
With surgery, there is always a risk, but it is often the only treatment available. Since they may face many unexpected problems in the operating theater, surgeons must be calm, collected and patient, even in an emergency.
Chief surgeon at the Veterans General Hospital, Shen Li-yang, graduated from the Ministry of Defense Medical School and studied neurosurgery in the U.S., which qualified him as a specialist. Shen believes that strict training and practical experience are essential for a good surgeon.
Shen pointed out that surgery should be regarded as the last resort, and avoiding unnecessary operations is therefore a surgeon's first principle. Operations should never be undertaken for money, to gain experience or out of curiosity, he said.
But even a top surgeon cannot expect to have a 100 percent success rate. Shen tells a story about a man who sent his son to find a good doctor, who preferably did not have any "ghosts" behind him, in other words, a 100 percent survival rate for patients. The son returned saying that most doctors had at least a few ghosts, but he had found a doctor with only one ghost. After his father died on the operating table, he discovered that the doctor had only started work that morning.
Shen tells this story because he believes the most important thing for a surgeon to do is to try his best.
Behavioral Disorders Can Be Cured
Shen Chu-wen, chief of the Veterans General Hospital's neurology and psychiatry department, explains that nervous disorders are simply malfunctions in the central nervous system, whereas mental disorders are shown by abnormal behavior. The symptoms, however can be confused.
Contrary to popular belief, many mental disorders can be treated with drugs. Relatives of some patients disapprove of drug treatment, however, because of possible side-effects, such as lethargy. Dr. Shen points out that there are few drugs without side-effects, but with careful medication, such patients can be cured.
In addition to medicines, the patient's relatives and friends as well as the patient himself, all play an important role. If the patient is too isolated from society, the result can be counter-productive. Dr. Shen believes that with help and encouragement, people with mental disorders can, and should, try to live normal lives.
Although some mental disorders are due to neurological causes, external factors such as the pressures of modern society, also play a role, Dr. Shen said.
[Picture Caption]
1. The VGH is situated in a pleasantly green environment on the outskirts of Taipei. 2.-4. The hospital's grounds are beautifully landscaped. 5. The success-rate at the surgery department is very high. 6. The cancer center has a linear accelerator to treat patients.
1. Nutrition experts ensure that patients receive the correct diet. The kitchen at the VGH prepares 8,000 meals everyday. 2.3. Newly born babies are treated with tender loving care at the VGH. 4. A nurse chatting with a young patient. 5. Taking a patient's temperature. 6. The VGH employs the most up-to-date diagnostic techniques. 7. The physical therapy department treating a lung patient.
Top: Diagnosis is computerized at the VGH. Middle: Cobalt treatment of cancer is highly advanced in Taiwan. Bottom: A diagnostic machine in the nuclear medicine department.
The hospital's grounds are beautifully landscaped.
The hospital's grounds are beautifully landscaped.
The hospital's grounds are beautifully landscaped.
The success-rate at the surgery department is very high.
The cancer center has a linear accelerator to treat patients.
Nutrition experts ensure that patients receive the correct diet. The kitchen at the VGH prepares 8,000 meals everyday.
Newly born babies are treated with tender loving care at the VGH.
Newly born babies are treated with tender loving care at the VGH.
A nurse chatting with a young patient.
Taking a patient's temperature.
The VGH employs the most up-to-date diagnostic techniques.
The physical therapy department treating a lung patient.
Diagnosis is computerized at the VGH.
Diagnosis is computerized at the VGH. Middle: Cobalt treatment of cancer is highly advanced in Taiwan.
A diagnostic machine in the nuclear medicine department.
