Pingtung Christian Hospital's emergency department stands firm on the front line of medical care trauma,

chest pain, stroke, pediatric, and obstetric emergencies—on call 24 hours a day

Since 2012, the emergency department at Pingtung Christian Hospital has passed the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s intermediate-level emergency medical capability evaluation. It also hosts a national disaster rescue team and a nuclear disaster emergency rescue team. Additionally, it is a dedicated hospital for cardiovascular care and a hospital designated to take charge of high-risk pregnancies and neonatal transfers, making it the preferred referral hospital in northern Pingtung. The hospital has also established an emergency transfer cooperation agreement with Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

The Pingtung Christian Hospital emergency department has been widely recognized by the public, with approximately one-third of all emergency patients in Pingtung County seeking treatment here. Upon entering the emergency room, patients undergo a series of emergency procedures based on their condition, ranging from basic vital signs monitoring and diagnostic tests to emergency treatments and consultations, all guided by clear protocols. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, adjustments in medical operations in Pingtung County have resulted in an increase in the number of critically ill patients at the hospital. Additionally, as the hospital's first line of defense, the emergency department has taken on the task of screening everyone admitted for hospitalization, those accompanying patients, and those undergoing examinations, requiring nucleic acid tests or rapid antigen screening as needed, which has significantly increased the emergency department's workload. According to the statistics of the Medical Records Office, the number of emergency visits surged from 5,361 in April to 6,780 in June, an increase of over 1,400 patients.

During the pandemic, the emergency room became the first line of defense against the virus. Since the Lunar New Year last year, the Pingtung Christian Hospital emergency department has implemented a series of pandemic prevention measures, including setting up an outdoor triage station, an outdoor waiting area, a quarantine treatment zone, and adding negative-pressure testing rooms. Recently, they also received a positive-pressure testing station, which they used for triage and treatment in separate zones, establishing a defense line to prevent the risk of cross-infection.

Faced with the daunting task of pandemic prevention, the Pingtung Christian Hospital emergency department has remained vigilant, as lives are at stake and the possibility of infection must be minimized. Every day, the staff wears airtight protective suits, bearing the burden of frontline medical care. By the time they change out of their suits, they are drenched in sweat—this has become the norm for emergency medical staff during this period.

The emergency department stabilizes critically ill patients quickly and continues treatment immediately, seizing the golden window for saving lives in critical conditions. The Pingtung Christian Hospital Emergency Department, with 14 doctors and over 40 nurses, provides 24-hour medical center-level services to the residents of Pingtung.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, accidental injuries are among the top ten causes of death in the country and one of the most common reasons for hospitalization in Taiwan. Pingtung Christian Hospital’s emergency department provides comprehensive 24-hour trauma team support. If an emergency physician receives a major trauma patient, they will immediately notify the on-call attending surgeon. If the case meets the criteria for activating the trauma team, the team is initiated according to the regulations, ensuring the golden window for saving critically ill patients is seized.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, accidental injuries are among the top ten causes of death in the country and one of the most common reasons for hospitalization in Taiwan. Pingtung Christian Hospital’s emergency department provides comprehensive 24-hour trauma team support. If an emergency physician receives a major trauma patient, they will immediately notify the on-call attending surgeon. If the case meets the criteria for activating the trauma team, the team is initiated according to the regulations, ensuring the golden window for saving critically ill patients is seized.

For acute stroke patients, necessary examinations and treatments are completed within 40 minutes of their arrival in the emergency room, and neurologists or neurosurgeons are contacted for consultations to provide appropriate treatment. The emergency department works closely with neurology and neurosurgery teams, ensuring 24-hour care.

In cooperation with the cardiology team, the emergency department provides 24-hour cardiac catheterization services. For patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, the necessary interventions are completed immediately after the patient’s arrival, and the physicians of the cardiovascular center are notified to perform emergency catheter-based treatments. This improves patient prognosis and reduces long-term complications.

The pace in the emergency room is the fastest in the hospital. Emergency physicians must quickly assess and treat patients, most of whom are critically ill, often confronting life-and-death situations countless times. Dr. Zhi-wen Chen, director of the emergency department, stated that emergency medicine requires strict medical expertise and often deals with high emotional pressure, making it a test of both skill and mental strength. Aside from trying to save patients from the brink of death, when faced with the final journey of critically ill patients, the staff does their best to comfort the families, helping them find peace in difficult times.