Taiwan Church News

3311 Edition

August 10 - 16, 2015

Ministry News

To Facilitate Rehabilitation, MacKay Memorial Hospital Sets Up Special Outpatient Appointments For The Disabled In Sports

Reported by Lin Yi-ying

On August 1, MacKay Memorial Hospital(MMH) held the first round of MacKay CupTable Tennis Contest, inviting former Paralmpics table tennis athlete, Chang Zhe-rong, engaging a friendship competition with MMH's staff, Chu Wei-chong. This performance contest also unveiled special outpatient appointments for the disabled in sports from August in MMH.

Dr. Shih Shou-chuang, the next Superintendent of MMH, said: As the spirit of MMHis to care for the marginalized and offer healing to the people in dimensions of the body, mind and soul, offering each patient an integral medical service is the goal of MMH's mission accordingly. Meanwhile, due to the sport is an important part of rehabilitation for the disabled - not only physical health and body control could be enhanced, but also self-confidence and the skill of social interaction be facilitated - MMH decided to start such special outpatient appointments for the disabled in sports from August every month.

Dr. Shei Hsiao-fu, visiting staff in the Rehabilitation Department of MMH, remarked that many patients after their urgent operation and treatment seemed to lose their previous habits of regular exercise afterwards, no wonder many chronic illnesses like obesity, high pressure and etc started to fall upon them. This is also the reason why she was engaged to promote a sport habit for the disabled. Now every time when her rehabilitation patients told her, "I just cannot help but play table tennis everyday!", Dr. Shei always felt very much pleased and encouraged.

Mr. Liu Ming-tang, Board Director of Taipei Table Tennis Association For TheDisabled, points out that the pains and sorrows of the patients with polio or spinal core injury are very miserable and beyond the understanding of the normal people. But, through the periodical sports functioning as a therapy, the disabled would be greatly inspired to walk out of the shadow in their rehabilitation process and connect with the people and their families again!

Translated by Peter Wolfe