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門諾醫院 Path:Gratitude>Mennonite Christian Hospital

Dr. Brown(1926~)

◆Born in Christian Family
The Dr. Brown Family (2nd to the left).

The Dr. Brown Family (2nd to the left).

The former President of Mennonite Christian Hospital Dr. Roland P. Brown was born in Hebei Province, China, in 1926. His father was the pastor of Mennonite Church of US. In 1909, Dr. Brown’s father and Maria, his mother, were assigned the medical mission to Kaifeng, Henan province, China. Motivated by his parents, Dr. Brown made aspiration to engage in missionaries and went for the medical education with the hope of being a doctor to serve people. After graduating from medical school, he chose and relocated the east coast of Taiwan to start his medical mission for the aborigines.

◆The medical practices in Taiwan

The mobile medical team serving for mountainous area.

The mobile medical team serving for mountainous area.

When Dr. Brown arrived in Hualien in 1953, he joined the Mennonite mountain mobile team to help out the remote tribes for their inaccessibility to physicians due to mountains or streams blockage. In 1954, he founded Hualien Mennonite Christian Hospital with the help of “Mennonite Overseas Relief Association of United States”.


◆Prudent treatment to every patient

The modified US. Army truck was used for the outside clinic high and low.

The modified US. Army truck was used for the outside clinic high and low.

At that time, tuberculosis was widespread in eastern Taiwan. Dr. Brown returned to the U.S. in 1956 to go further study in the specialty of Pulmonary Surgery. He went back to Taiwan in 1960 and took over the Presidency in Mennonite Christian Hospital. He cured numerous tuberculosis patients in his superb medical skills. Ms. Shiou-jing Yeh who was Dr. Brown's assistant in operating room for many years said that Dr. Brown's surgery was always done very carefully, commonly lasting more than seven or eight hours. He committed himself by all means to do each and every operation successfully without failure.

◆Disciplining himself and the hospital staffs

Dr. Brown was checking up the patients.

Dr. Brown was checking up the patients.

Pr. Ming-jen Kao recalled those days working with Dr. Brown in the operating room and that he felt so exhausted when he performed surgeries with Dr. Brown often beyond the dinner time. However, he could go home and have rest afterwards, no matter how tired he was. Dr. Brown nevertheless returned home to rush a meal and ran back to the hospital for observing the patient's condition after surgery. He sometimes even accompanied with patients throughout the night. In the lead of Dr. Brown, doctors in Mennonite Christian Hospital should by no means be lack of caution. There was a say, an unwritten rule that the doctor in night shift could not sleep with shoes off because Dr. Brown was likely arriving to the emergency room earlier than the doctor on duty in case of someone emergent.

◆Consecration his whole life to Taiwan

Dr. Brown and nurse patrolling wards, 1957.

Dr. Brown and nurse patrolling wards, 1957.

What the most made him feel helpless was that there were many doctors in Taiwan "being very close to the United States, but very far away from Hualien". Thanks for the words; it affected Dr. Sheng-hsong Huang who has been a well-known Neurosurgery doctor in US. He gave up the position with very hig pay in the US, and joined “Hualien 'Mennonite Christian Hospital” in Hualien to replace Dr. Brown.

The Mennonite Christian Hospital today.

The Mennonite Christian Hospital today.


On May 16, 1994, Dr. Brown officially retired and the couple settled down to Kansas, US to restart their new phase of life.How much they concerned about Mennonite Christian Hospital and Taiwan was never less in spite of the long distance. Wherever they were invited to give a speech, they always called on donations to support the new hospital building expansion, which has been in construction.

 

References :
Elder John Lai's Archives
http://www.laijohn.com/archives/pm/Brown,R/brief/Chiu,Khong.htm
Image Sources :
台灣醫療史料數位博物館http://203.65.117.106/project/people/main3_29.htm
Mennonite Christian Hospital http://www.mch.org.tw/top_1/index.asp
Elder John Lai's Archives
http://www.laijohn.com/archives/pm/Brown,R/brief/Chiu,Khong.htm
http://www.16design.com.tw/menno/photo.html

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