The first city hospital in Taichung, Taichung City General Hospital for Elderly Rehabilitation, held a groundbreaking ceremony in Beitun District on (17) today. It is the first city hospital operated by BOT in Taichung City, and China Medical University Hospital has obtained the 50-year operation right. The hospital estimates that the construction will finish ahead of schedule by the end of 2025. Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu said that this hospital is the largest one in Taichung City, located in Beitun District with a population of 300,000, and can serve the district locally. She looks forward to the early project completion to provide improved medical and long-term care for the benefit of Taichung citizens.
Mayor Lu, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony today, said that there were two small hospitals in Beitun District, in disrepair and had only 203 beds, which did not meet the medical needs. After three years of planning and scheduling, the city government decided to rebuild this place into Taichung City General Hospital for Elderly Rehabilitation, operated by BOT, and China Medical University Hospital obtained the management right. The hospital will be a 1262-bed general hospital with the theme of long-term care for the elderly. The mayor especially thanked the hospital team of China Medical University for taking up this mission to benefit the citizens.

Mayor Lu pointed out that with the advancement of medical care, elders are becoming healthier and living longer. Before she took office, there were less than 200 elderly people over 100, but now there are nearly 400. From the perspective of population growth trends, senior citizen medical care is very important. Besides the groundbreaking of Taichung City General Hospital for Elderly Rehabilitation, there are more than 500 Taichung Long-care ABC service offices. Not only does it account for the highest number among the six municipalities, but it is also the highest in the whole country. The city government will continue to optimize the service system for medical care.

The Health Bureau stated more than half of the six municipalities have city hospitals, and Taichung certainly cannot fall behind others. In particular, the epidemic impacting the past two years shows the importance of medical care resources. After reviewing the resources and planning evaluation, the city government team finally decided on a general hospital on 4.8 hectares of public land in the third section of Taiyuan Road in Beitun District. At the same time, continuing the spirit of the elderly people's hospital and rehabilitation hospital for the care and recovery of the elderly, we officially named the hospital "Taichung City General Hospital for Elderly Rehabilitation."

According to the Health Bureau, this hospital has an elderly and general medical center, a rehabilitation and long-term care building, a community health building, and an administration and dormitory building. It includes 499 acute general beds, 30 psychiatric-acute beds, and 53 psychiatric-chronic beds. There are also comprehensive residential long-term care institutions for 300 long-term care beds and daycare services for 60 people. Among them, there are 30 public-subsidized beds to ensure the safe care of economically disadvantaged groups to implement the concept of "integration of medical and nursing care" from acute and critical care to long-term care.

The Health Bureau further explained that the city hospital BOT project is a principal construction project in Taichung City, and it also has the highest investment in promoting participation in history, with private investment amounting to NTD 15.7 billion. It can improve the quality of medical care and attract medical talents to return, and create employment opportunities through public-private cooperation. And in response to energy conservation and carbon reduction, 2050 net zero emissions, the building design aims to incorporate gold-standard green buildings, gold-standard intelligent buildings, and low-carbon buildings with gold-standard certification. While caring for the health of citizens, it is also friendly to the environment and reduces the impact of development. The government hopes to create a medical and nursing park that reassures citizens and a happy city that is friendly and livable.

Tzu-Chan Tseng, Director of the Health Bureau, indicated a private institution would run the city hospital, but they must also shoulder public health responsibilities. They must cooperate with the central and local policies to provide rural medical and public health services, such as to support medical care and public health in Lishan and Heping areas. It should also serve needs for medical treatment and long-term license subsidies from vulnerable groups with low and middle income to become a hospital that looks after the social and public welfare.

With excellent drumming techniques, Chio Tian Folk Drums & Art Troupe opened today's groundbreaking ceremony. Mayor Lu, Chairman of the China Medical University Hospital Chang-Hai Tsai, Deputy Speaker of Taichung City Council Li-Min Yan, Secretary-General of Taichung City Government Chong-Dian Huang, Secretary-General of the Taichung City Council Qian-Ming Peng, and Director of the Health Bureau Tzu-Chan Tseng. Besides, City Councillors also attended the ceremony, including Cheng-Tian Chen, You-Lian Shen, Jian-Hao Huang, Chao-Rong Tseng, Shun-Ren Lai, Ming-Yuan Xie, Yu-Yan Chang, Min-Cheng He, Ting-Wei Luo, Yi-Hui Lai, Zhen-Gxian Chen, and Shi-Zhou Liu. There were also departments from the Taichung City Government, such as the Director of the Civil Affairs Bureau Shi-Wei Wu, the Director of the Urban Development Bureau Wen-Bin Huang, the Director of the Finance Bureau Xian-Fa Luo, Chief of Staff of the Legal Affairs Bureau Shan-Zhi Lee, and Chairman of Council for Hakka Affairs Jun-Long Jiang, joined the activity. In addition, the Director of the Industrial Development & Investment Promotion Committee Yu-Shan Huang, Legislator Jing-Cheng Zhuang, the service team of the City Councilmen Qi-Feng Lin and Yao-Jie Tsai, and many Chiefs of the Village also participated in the event.