Pingtung Christian Hospital was established by a group of medical missionaries from the United States, Norway, and Finland who were inspired by the love of Christ and devoted 20 to 30 years of their lives to Taiwan and upheld the noble tradition of "going wherever there is a need." PCH began as a humble clinic and transformed into a regional teaching hospital with over 600 beds. Throughout this journey, it safeguarded the health of the people in southern Taiwan and also made significant contributions to Taiwan's medical history in the areas of surgery, orthopedics, infectious disease treatment in the 1950s, physical therapy, and nurse assistant education.

In recent years, with the tightening financial policies of the National Health Insurance and the growing strength of surrounding medical institutions, PCH has sought to reform and evolve to meet the rapidly changing medical market. PCH has advanced in comprehensive quality management, implemented continuous improvement through the PDCA cycle, introduced HFMEA failure mode, balanced scorecards, and upgraded its medical information system. PCH has also developed preventive medicine, long-term care services, and a dementia-friendly environment, aiming to create a patient-centered medical environment with holistic care. It continues to improve hospital service quality, gaining patient trust and ensuring the hospital’s sustainable operation.

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1953 Christian Bethesda Clinic (No. 99 Zhongzheng Road) 

 
1956 Christian Clinic (No. 183 Zhonghua Road) 

 1963 The clinic moved to a new medical building at No. 60 Dalian Road

 1989 Han Wei Memorial Building opened 

 
1998 The new Outpatient (Luke) Building and Inpatient Building opened

The first missionary to PCH from the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) in the U.S. was Dr. Mildred Norlund. His sister, Ester Norlund, was a missionary in China, where on January 7, 1947, she, along with missionary Martha Anderson and Dr. Alexis Berg, tragically died at the hands of bandits. In their memory, friends and family donated funds to purchase land on Dalian Road. In 1960, Dr. Norlund donated the land to PCH, perpetuating the mission spirit of these three individuals.

It is through the sacrifices of those who came before us that PCH now has this sacred home, continuing the mission of medical evangelism.

↑The Memorial Stone is located at the entrance to the Outpatient Building

The name "Pingtung Christian Hospital" officially began use on September 1, 1963. Before this, the sign facing Zhonghua Road simply read "Christian Clinic." However, whether it was a clinic or a hospital, every elderly in Pingtung knew it by the local Taiwanese name "Ah-Dok-Ah Hospital." Who were these "Ah-Dok-Ah"? To understand this, let’s trace the history back a little and begin with the "Norwegian Mission Alliance" and the "Christian Medical Mission."

The Norwegian Mission Alliance

The Norwegian Mission Alliance was previously known as the "Norwegian China Mission Alliance." After restructuring, it became the "Norwegian Mission Alliance." The original organization was founded in 1901 by Dr. Ole Ueland, a Norwegian philosopher who went to China as a missionary. This was a mission organization with a focus on Northern China, systematically holding prayers and meetings in Norway to share visions and burdens for mission work. In 1910, the first group of seven missionaries was sent to China, and in 1920, the first hospital was established in Zhangjiakou.

However, soon after, the Sino-Japanese War broke out, and Norway was also drawn into the European conflict. After the Sino-Japanese War ended, the Chinese Civil War began, and the hospital in Zhangjiakou was forced to close. The group of medical missionaries moved west to Yunnan and Kunming, continuing their work. In 1949, after the government relocated to Taiwan and the situation stabilized, Dr. Fotland came to Taiwan from China. More missionaries from Norway followed, including Dr.Olav Bjørgaas and his wife, who came to Taiwan as PCH missionaries 54 years ago, Mr. Bjarne Gislefoss who later served at Puli Christian Hospital, and former PCH superintendent Mr. Jieshilan.

These medical personnel from the mission always prioritized care for those forgotten by society. Dr. Olav Bjørgaas began treating leprosy patients immediately upon arriving in Taiwan in 1954. Dr. Jieshilan served for many years in a special dermatology clinic in Kaohsiung, proactively seeking out cases in the community for treatment. Mr. Bjarne Gislefoss at Puli took in homeless and troubled youth, providing them with basic care and a sense of home.

1956 marked a milestone for the mission as they took over Bethesda Clinic (the predecessor of PCH) from the American Covenant Church. Dr. Bjørgaas and Dr. Fotland leading the clinic, which was renamed the "Christian Clinic." At that time, there were about 50 outpatient visits per day.

Beyond China and Taiwan, the Norwegian Mission Alliance felt a deep responsibility to help those in urgent need worldwide. Missionaries from the alliance also worked in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and as far as Bolivia in South America.

Dr. Kristoffor Fotland (left), Dr. Olav Bjørgaas (right)

Christian Medical Mission

As far back as 1975, a Dutch missionary nurse named Louise, part of the International Medical Fellowship, traveled to hospitals with her guitar, seeking Christian medical professionals. She hoped they would form Christian Medical Fellowships within hospitals to evangelize to both patients and fellows. Her vision inspired a group of Christian medical professionals to establish the Chinese Christian Medical Fellowship. Early members included Dr.Wei Han, Dr. Xian-kai Li, Pastor Xin-ren Yan, Superintendent Bing-xi Yu, and others. Dr. Wei Han served as the chairman of the board. In 1977, God miraculously gathered a group of young Christian doctors to respond to the medical needs of remote areas, forming a prayer group. For convenience, they met regularly at the Jiayin Clinic, where Dr. Zhao-ming Jian practiced, for prayers and gatherings. At the time, these doctors were deeply moved by the Western mission societies and missionaries. They hoped to establish Christian hospitals and clinics in Taiwan's most remote and impoverished regions. However, they also saw the growing difficulty of running these institutions due to a shortage of doctors and nurses.

The prayer group was later named the Chinese Medical Mission Association (the predecessor of the Chinese Christian Medical Mission), with Dr. Wei Han, former dean of Yangming Medical College, as its chairman. He led this group of young people in prayer, hoping that God would raise up Taiwanese Christian medical professionals to follow in the footsteps of Western missionaries. They hoped that Christian clinics in remote areas could continue to operate and that more Christian medical staff would be encouraged to serve in these areas. Due to shared vision and the convenience of establishing a foundation, Dean Wei Han merged the Chinese Christian Medical Fellowship with the Chinese Medical Mission Association, renaming it the Christian Medical Mission. The earliest members included former superintendent Chaur-ren Tsai, Dr. Zhao-ming Jian, superintendent Rui-heng Weng of Chiayi Christian Hospital, Pastor Mao-tang Cai, and Professor Rong-de Wang (senior) from National Taiwan University. Later, more joined, such as Brother Da-ling Fan, Dr. Zheng-hong Chen, Dr. Jiang-cheng Xu, Dr. Li-geng Jia, Dr. Liang-zhen Zhuo, Dr. Wei Huang, Dr. Yong-cheng Chen, Dr. Zhang-tian Liu, Dr. Shen-bin Zhou, Dr. Zhao-lian Zhu, Dr. Chi-kin Lan, superintendent Rong-de Wang (junior) from Kaohsiung Christian Hospital, and Dr. Jia-mou Yang, among others, until the present executive committee members.

At that time, God gave the Christian Medical Mission the vision that if they were to engage in medical work in remote areas, they would need a base hospital in a vast region to support the smaller hospitals or clinics. This hospital would serve as a referral center for patients and provide continuing education for medical staff in remote areas. In this way, the medical mission to remote areas could be fully realized.

Two years after the prayer group was formed, God allowed the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, through the Christian Medical Mission, to manage Heng Chun Christian Hospital, Taiwan’s southernmost and smallest hospital. Miraculously, three years later, in 1982, the Norwegian Mission Alliance invited the Christian Medical Mission to co-manage Pingtung Christian Hospital (PTCH). As God had originally shown the Christian Medical Mission, there was now a base hospital (PTCH). Heng Chun Christian Hospital expanded from a clinic to 35 beds, and now it can accommodate up to 100 beds. Meanwhile, PTCH started with 150 beds, and with the later expansion of the Han Wei Memorial Building, followed by the construction of the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John buildings, it has grown into a regional teaching hospital with over 600 beds.

PTCH is a medical mission base established by God. In terms of medical care, the entire hospital has been upgraded to a regional teaching hospital, providing better healthcare to the public. In terms of mission work, PTCH not only engages in domestic medical missions but also sends medical missionaries abroad. There is also hope that one day PTCH can follow the example of Western missionaries by engaging in cross-cultural medical mission work overseas. The Chinese Christian Medical Mission and the Norwegian Mission Alliance hope to work together to bring medical care and the Gospel to the most remote and desperate areas, both domestically and internationally. This has always been the goal of the Evangelical Alliance Mission, and we firmly believe that God will lead us forward step by step.