A Group of Love─Getting to know KungTai

    In an early winter of 1968, a group of young medical school students, with the love of God, gathered together to share and experience their lives. At that time, they had a commitment that not only wanted to take advantage of upgrading the spirit of faith, but also inspire more medical works in "love" to serve others.

After a long period of time since they graduated from schools, this particular pursuit of the ideal gradually became a more practical plan. Therefore, with the power of the group, "Catholic Sanipax Socio-Medical Service & Education Foundation" (as referred to KungTai hereafter) was founded in 1983 to establish their dream further on a more solid base.

KungTai passionately commits in the medical areas where most people "dislike to do, unwilling to do, or unable to do". KungTai has devoted every effort to fill the gap of medical services and to provide medical care and social services to patients and their families. KungTai then won the seventh Medical Dedication Award of the Republic of China in 1997.

KungTai consists of several functional organizations including Department of Social Services, Department of Health Education and Department of Project Application. There are seven groups belonging to these departments accordingly. Department of Social Services handles diabetes children services group, breast cancer prevention and treatment services group, hospice care services group, dementia services group and public relations. Department of Health Education manages health education training services group, the National Health Education Resource Center and gospel services group. The goal for this department is to provide patients and their families physical, mental and spiritual adaptations through the knowledge and skills of medical education. KungTai also hosts several supporting groups for patients and care givers to ease their burdens from physical, psychological, and family problems.

Diabetes Children Services Group
Not only adults suffer from diabetes. Children will also get diabetes and have even more difficult time than diabetic adults. Everyday, they have to deal with injections of insulin and blood sugar measurement. In addition, they have to be alert on the diet and exercise. With the small number of diabetic children in Taiwan, they have been overlooked for a long time. KungTai established IDDM clubs specifically for diabetic children services. Through the guidance of experts, the diabetic children and their parents can learn how to maintain the health and resolve the problems facing everyday.

Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment Services Group
Breast cancer is the second highest death causes for women. Over the years, KungTai has committed to the prevention and treatment of breast cancer advocacy to guide women to have early detection and early treatment to increase the possibility of curing from breast cancer. Also, KungTai provides breast cancer patients a complete and systematic health care service. An association was then established, known as “the madam club”, to help patients and families support each other and pass through tough times. KungTai initiated and organized a home coming event to gather all related associations island wide to promote breast cancer knowledge and support the patients with each other. In order to provide further services to breast cancer patients, KungTai is planning to form a national association to integrate resources of the groups of breast cancer patients.

Health Education Training Services Group
KungTai periodically hosts lectures or seminars based on the needs of society in terms of ignored health problems, accidence prevention and first aid training. Sometimes, the mass communication tools will be used to bring public awareness. In recent years, KungTai put more training focus on the gray-headed group. The activities are highly welcome by the elders. In addition, KungTai also assists many authorities and organizations to plan for the health care speech or health care training services. A great honor of promoting creativity and self-directed learning in health care training was given by the Department of Health commissioned by the Executive Yuan in 2001. The project was to offer health care education people a series of innovative education courses. KungTai started the training of “Blood Sugar Control Train the Trainer Program” in 2006. The students of the program volunteered to found the”Blood Sugar Control Club” after the program in order to continuously maintain the healthier life style and promote the concept of controlling blood sugar in a proper way.

Hospice Care Services Group
This group is chaired by a member of the director board, Dr. Chao. For many years, this group has been providing hospice training to medical professionals and volunteers so as to release the cancer patients from the pain and tortures of the body, the mind, and the spiritual way.  The goal is to teach the patients and their families the correct way of taking care themselves in order for the cancer patients to finish their final journey with peace and dignity. Besides, a “grief therapy group” has offered counseling services to families out of bereavement. In order to emphasis the threat of cancers, enhance the hygienic concept, instilling the correct concept of death, and stress the meaning of life, they have conducting a series of speech and seminars for the community.