I. History of the Bureau

Since the establishment of the County in the First Year of Yongzheng's Reign, Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1723), Changhua has been located in the central hub of the province for nearly 300 years. Forefathers endured great hardships in pioneer work for land reclamation, breaking new ground here in Changhua, gradually emerging as a gathering place for merchants and talents, as well as an important region in central Taiwan. At the beginning of Taiwan’s Retrocession, in consideration of the County’s lack of material, economic depression, destitution and ruin, the government established health care administration system from the post-war ruins through hardships in view of the importance of public health.

• For Taiwan’s retrocession in 1945, the original Japanese colonial period’s Health Section of the Changhua City Government’s Civil Affairs Division was set up to take charge of health administration.

• In December 1946, on account of the growing importance of public health, it was reorganized into the Changhua City Health Center (affiliated to the Changhua City Government, with 1 director and 18 staff members of all offices) and Taichung County Health Center (greater county system) for management of various township health stations.

• In November 1950, the Changhua Health Center became affiliated to the post-restructuring Changhua County Government, with a director of the Center presiding over three divisions and two offices, as well as health stations set up in townships and villages to take care of health administration issues.

• In July 1961, it was again reorganized into Changhua County Health Bureau with 6 divisions and 3 offices in order to meet actual affairs needs.

• In January 1985, the Seventh Division was added, and the entire organization was divided into 7 divisions and 3 offices at the time (changed from 6 divisions and 3 offices) on account of the growing burden of food and cooking hygiene affairs and its importance.

• In September 1989, with the rise of environmental awareness, the Environmental Protection Bureau of Changhua County was established, and the environmental sanitation and pollution prevention affairs belonging to the Second Division thereof were transferred to the Bureau because of rapid industrial development and severe damage to the natural environment.

• In 2000, restructured the organization of this Bureau, setting up Medical Administration Division, Medicine Administration Division, Food Hygiene Division, Health Care Division, Infection Prevention Division, Clinical Laboratory, Planning Division, General Affairs Office, Personnel Office, Accounting Office and Civil Service Ethics Office, totaling seven divisions and four offices, along with 27 affiliated health stations as well as chronic disease prevention and treatment stations in accordance with Article 11 of the Changhua County Government Organizational Autonomy Regulations.

• In 2003, the Infection Prevention Division was reorganized into the Disease Control Division, and the General Affairs Office was reorganized into the Administrative Office in response to affairs needs.

• In 2005, changed the Planning Division to the Planning Information Division, and built a professional and efficient service organization by strengthening organizational functions.

• In 2005, the “Convenient Service Center” was set up to integrate medical administration, medicine and food hygiene affairs into a three-in-one service, and a 30-minute on-the-spot service of instant re-issuance of physician licenses.

• On 1/1/2007, Changhua County Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment Station moved to the first floor of the South, the West and the North Districts’ Health Stations to continue services in accordance with the space planning of the Bureau.

• On 7/1/2007, based upon the Bureau’s organizational chart modification, the original “Dajhu District Health Station” in Changhua City was renamed “East District Health Station” of Changhua City in line with the actual jurisdiction and the expectations of the public.

• In September 2007, office space re-planning was carried out, in addition to the adjustment of office layout according to the convenience for public affairs for the purpose of improving administrative efficiency, reusing the unused space, increasing the Second Meeting Room, Pantry, and Joint Inspection Team office. The disabled parking spaces in the parking lot were widened and the ramps were additionally built to the elevators to cater for the needs of the disabled.

• On 6/25/2008, amended the “Organizational Regulations of Changhua County Health Bureau” and started implementation as of 1/23/2008. This Bureau sets up various sectors to respectively take charge of affairs, namely Medical Administration Division, Medicine Administration Division, Food Hygiene Division, Health Care Division, Disease Control Division, Clinical Laboratory, Planning Information Division, Health Inspection Division, Administration Division, Personnel Office, Accounting Office and Civil Service Ethics Office.

• On 1/1/2013, abolished Changhua County Long-Term Care and Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment Station, and established the  Long-Term Care Division in this Bureau to take charge of long-term care related affairs.

• On 8/1/2016, changed the Medicine Administration Division to the Medicine Administration and Substance Abuse Prevention Division.

II. Establishment of Centers in Response to Policies and Affairs

On 12/12/2003, Established “Long-Term Care Management Center”

In consideration of a high demand for long-term care for the elderly, incapacitated, disabled and solitary seniors, “Changhua County Long-Term Care Management Demonstration Center” was established, which was jointly operated by the Health Bureau and the Social Affairs Bureau to provide a one-stop service for the public. Cooperating with the Labor Committee for the promotion of the “Integration Program of Application Process for Foreign Caregivers and Domestic Health Care Services System”, the Bureau undertook the application process affairs for foreign caregivers in 2006.

In 2008, in view of the promotion of “10-Year Long-Term Care Plan”, it was renamed to “Changhua County Government Long-term Care Management Center”. In October of the same year, the Long-Term Care Management Center Southern Changhua Sub-Station was established in Puxin Township. On account of an increasing number of service items, it successively replenished manpower as well. Because the office and the reception space were limited, a long-term care management center office was set up in the Cheng-gong Military Camp, Changhua City, in September 2009, providing a spacious office and service space.

In September 2010, the Bureau moved to the 4th floor of the South, the West and the North Districts Health Stations of Changhua City to reduce the people’s traffic inconvenience and to alleviate administrative burdens. In December 2010, it moved to the Northern Changhua Office to work jointly in order to provide a more convenient Application Process for Foreign Caregivers One-Stop Service for the public.

Long-term care was classified into health administration and social administration affairs. In order to provide people with more convenient long-term care service, on 6/16/2015, 15 public affairs of the County Social Department were transferred to the Bureau of Public Health in stages, and the Bureau completed “the elderly food services, transportation service, family support service, improvement of auxiliary appliance and accessible environment, long-term care institutions’ installment for minimum living expenses below 1.5 times medium-low income elders, day-care services, specified location bathing services, home-based service, long-term caregiver training, day-care stationing (prepared for establishment) small-scale and multifunctional service, group home service, non-registered or prepared for establishment elderly welfare institutions, registered elderly welfare institutions” 15 Social Department’s long-term care affairs transfer tasks in 2017.

On 3/26/2003, “Community Mental Health Centre” Commenced Operations

In 2000, the Bureau actively planned to set up a community mental health center. In 2001, it submitted a plan to the Ministry of Health, Executive Yuan, for central government subsidy. In 2002, it was subsidized by the Ministry of Health. In 2003, the Center was established in charge of psychological consultation, and the consulting service stations were established and referral services were provided, etc. It mainly handled community, campus, workplace and other mental health promotion as well as suicide case notification, care counseling, prevention and control.

On 6/16/2006, Held an Unveiling Ceremony to Formally Establish “Suicide Prevention Center”

At the end of 2005, the Ministry of Health of Executive Yuan entrusted the Taiwan Association Against Depression with the establishment of National Suicide Prevention Center, and selected Keelung City, Taoyuan County, Changhua County and Kaohsiung City as the pilot scheme implementation counties and cities; after many preparatory meetings, this County’s Suicide Prevention Center started cooperating with such Center's Pilot Scheme Changhua Office in accordance with the central government policy to promote the suicide prevention strategy based on the local conditions.

On 7/172006, Set up “Changhua County Government Narcotics Hazard Prevention Center”

n accordance with the Ministry of Justice 12/01/2006 Fa-Bao-Zi-No.0951002986 Official Letter and the “Establishment Guidelines of Changhua County Government Narcotics Hazard Prevention Center”, the Bureau promoted and integrated medication, social administration, education, Justice Administration, labor administration (employment, vocational training) , judicial protection and other government agencies' communication platforms, in combination with the government and the civil force, as well as integrating and developing various resources, forming a complete narcotics hazard prevention network from the central to the local governments’ horizontal and vertical integration, and using “community overall construction” principles, inspiring people's community awareness and the concept of community of life, making every endeavor to prevent narcotics hazard.

In line with the New Generation Anti-drug Strategy formulated by the Executive Yuan, combating illegal drug use, drug enforcement and joint defense, the County Narcotics Hazard Prevention Center additionally set up the “Tracing to Source Drug Enforcement Group” on 7/28/2017 containing drug monitoring and strengthening cross-office contact and integration functions. It set up Prevention Advocacy Group, Protection Support Group, Referral Service Group, Comprehensive Planning Group, and Tracing To Source Drug Enforcement Group, which were a total of five groups to jointly prevent narcotics hazard.

On 1/17/2008, Established “Joint Inspection Team” in the Form of Task Forces was established by task formation.

Held Unveiling Ceremony on 2/21/2008 and Commenced Operation

Beginning in January 2005, the County's health inspectors were divided into five groups to handle the five districts (including Lukang District, Changhua District, Yuanlin District, Tianzhong District and Erlin District). The inspectors of each district gathered on the specific health station to work. In order to be further in line with the expectations of the people, the Bureau was responsible for directing, planning and distributing the investigation and sampling inspection affairs. It operated in the form of Joint Inspection Teams, and supported inspection affairs in a cross-township and cross-regional manner.

On 6/25/2008, the Bureau amended the “Organizational Regulations for Changhua County Health Bureau”, and the “Joint Inspection Team” officially became the “Health Inspection Division”, taking care of health inspections, bans, petitions and other related health administrations.

III. Successive Directors