Taiwan Church News

3359 Edition

July 11 - 17, 2016

Church Ministry

PCT And MMH Commit To Stand By Taitung After A Ravage By Typhoon Nepartak

Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan and Lin Ching-ja

In the early morning on July 8, after Typhoon Nepartak's devastating sweep across Taitung County, the emergencyroom at Taitung Branch of Mackay Memorial Hospital(TBMMH) was soon flooded into hundreds of patients. According to TBMMH, there were over 300 people injured, 11 seriously wounded and two died due to this destructive typhoon. Over 400 medical personnel were recruited to take part in this emergent medi-care task force, and its mobilization scale was also the highest ever in hospital's history, said TBMMH.

Many windows of TBMMH were utterly smashed due to strong wind; cardiac catheterization laboratory and the airconditioner of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer were also out of function. The incurred financial loss was estimated around NT$ 15 millions. Fortunately, those malfunctioned machines were soon repaired back to order and kept to serve the patients without delay.

Both Managing Director (Elder Liu Bor-en) and the Superintendent (Dr. Shih Sou-chuan) of Mackay Memorial Hospital promised to offer medi-care support and co-ordinations to Taitung government and local hospitals after this gigantic wind disaster sweeping across Taitung. Elder Liu Bor-en said, "MMH will continue to invest resources in Taitung in order to diminish the alarming gap of medical services between urban and rural area!".

Taitung Christian Hospital(TCH) also received 196 patients due to this typhoon, but their buildings, diagnosticrooms and hemodialysis facilities were all seriously damaged. A call of care and re-construction support was therefore urged by TCH.

Lan An Cultural and Education Foundation, located at Orchid Island, whose facilities like dormitory, museum andkindergarten were seriously hit; the main church building, tribal arbor and road networks around Langdao Presbyterian Church in Orchid Island was also damaged badly; the Saving Star Nursing Institute, a Catholics affiliated unit severely inundated, needed cleaning and sterile supplies, solar hot water system and transportation vehicles to take care of the children.

From July 6, two days before Typhoon Nepartak reached Taitung, PCT's Church and Society Committee hadestablished a social media network connecting each presbytery and district to report immediately about the resulting damages by this strong typhoon. An exclusive facebook page, intending to raise donation for the predictable calamity by Typhoon Nepartak, was also set up in advance. Meanwhile, a command headquarter for first-aid rescue operation was specially opened at the Aboriginal Development Center located in Taitung city.

In the morning on July 9, after eastern Taiwan's railway was available to reach Taitung, PCT's officials rushed tovisit both the devastated area in Bunun and Eastern Amis Presbytery and the inflicted area of Taimali of Eastern Paiwan Presbytery respectively.

The first team included Rev. Sudu Tada(Moderator of General Assembly) and Rev. Omi Wilang(Secretary of Indigenous Mission Committee) and Rev. Nanang Tadaw(Secretary of Church and Society Committee at Taroko Presbytery), and the second team included Rev. Cheng Kuo-chong and Rev. Lin Wei-lien, Director and Secretary of PCT's Church and Society Committee.

To figure out an effective and practical emergency rescue operation, a joint conference inviting each presbytery'sofficials of Church and Society Committee was held at Keng Sheng Church of Taitung Presbytery in the afternoon on July 9. This is a PCT action to commit God's love and comfort to the suffered of Taitung when they were desperately in need!

Translated by Peter Wolfe