Efforts by the Republic of China (Taiwan) in assisting its diplomatic allies through medical aid reflect the country’s soft power and commitment to advancing global health, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs June 13.
 
The success of Taiwan’s annual international medical mission in the Marshall Islands serves as a prime example in these regards, MOFA Deputy Minister Paul Wen-liang Chang said, adding that the country will continue to strengthen bilateral collaboration with the South Pacific ally to help improve its medical care.
 
The deputy minister made the remarks during the launch of the book “The Guardian from Dawn to Dusk: the Stories of Shuang Ho Hospital Medical Missions in Marshall Islands,” which documents the efforts of medical professionals dispatched every year by Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital to the island state since 2013.
 
According to Chang, the dedication of the local medical missions to enhancing public health in the Marshall Islands is greatly appreciated by the nation’s people. They expressed this sentiment to MOFA Minister David Tawei Lee when he visited the ROC diplomatic ally in April this year, the deputy minister added.
 
Taiwan medical teams’ achievements underscore the effectiveness of the ROC government’s steadfast diplomacy, which is helping safeguard the global health system, Chang said.
 
In a video recorded for the occasion, Marshall Islands Health Minister Kalani Kaneko thanked Taiwan for providing medical assistance to his country. Anjanette Kattil, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of the Marshall Islands in Taipei, also expressed gratitude for the medical teams’  successful efforts.
 
According to the MOFA, since diplomatic relations between the ROC and Marshall Islands began in 1998, the two countries have maintained close cooperation in such areas as agriculture, clean energy, education, medicine and public health.
 
A recent example of the firm bilateral ties is an agreement signed by Kaneko and Shuang Ho Hospital Deputy Superintendent Dr. Lin Jia-wei Feb. 24, 2017 in Marshall Islands. Under the pact, the hospital will oversee a residency program for Marshallese medical doctors graduating from the College of Medicine at Kaohsiung City-based I-Shou University, with the internship set to begin in August this year at Majuro Hospital under the supervision of Shuang Ho physicians.
 
Taiwan’s medical missions in the Marshall Islands are representative of broader efforts to contribute to global health security. The Pacific island nation has played a major role in this endeavor, most recently by advocating for the ROC’s participation in this year’s World Health Assembly—the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, the MOFA added. (SFC-E)