Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization would benefit the well-being of all.
Dr. Kirubel Abebe Kebede had heard positive things about Taiwan’s health care system while in Ethiopia, but he was still impressed by what he experienced during a yearlong surgical course he attended in Taiwan. “The skill of the surgeons was inspiring, and their concern for patient care and safety exemplary,” the doctor said after observations at four hospitals through May 2023. “All the facilities had advanced equipment, and I witnessed a variety of complex surgeries for the first time. All in all, it was an eye-opener.”
With rich experience in health care and an ethos of assistance, Taiwan is deeply committed to human well-being. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) plays a central role, as demonstrated by the training program Dr. Kebede took part in. It was launched by the Taiwan International Healthcare Training Center (TIHTC) run by the MOHW’s Taipei Hospital in New Taipei City. Since receiving the first medic from Mongolia in 2002, the center has offered advanced training to over 2,100 medical professionals from around 80 countries. Training is provided by Taipei Hospital as well as other medical institutions, each with strengths in different fields of medicine.
Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (Photo by Chin Hung-hao)
Taiwan’s potential to advance global health care is based on a solid foundation of taking good care of its own population, evidenced by the country holding the top spot in the Health Care Index released by international database firm Numbeo for five years running. “The National Health Insurance program is crucial in ensuring the health of Taiwan’s people,” MOHW Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) said of the compulsory social insurance implemented in 1995. The program now covers nearly 100 percent of residents and, according to a national survey conducted in 2023, has a 91.2 percent satisfaction rate. “It eliminates economic obstacles to receiving medical services, fulfilling the goal of health for all. No one is denied treatment because of financial difficulties,” Hsueh added.
Accessible Quality
Medical students in Taiwan study general medicine for six years and then have two years of postgraduate training during which they rotate through different hospital departments. In this way, they gain experience in various aspects of medicine, enhanceing their interprofessional collaboration skills and helping them choose a specialization. In many hospitals, there is particular emphasis on epidemic resilience as Taiwan has been at the forefront of two epidemics, SARS in 2003 and COVID-19 in 2019, with the experiences implemented into medical training.
“Taiwan’s hospitals regularly develop new surgical techniques,” said the minister, noting that 38 such advanced procedures are being tested in clinical settings. The country is proactive in introducing the latest medical technologies and pharmaceuticals from abroad as well, Hsueh added. “Our hospitals are home to four of the world’s 133 cancer-treating particle therapy systems, and more hospitals are poised to roll out this cutting-edge equipment soon.”
Vietnamese medical professionals give the thumbs-up at a training session at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. (Courtesy of International Medical Service Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital)
Taiwan stands out for its domestic health system, but it is also committed to a global vision of well-being. “When we began our medical outreach, practitioners came here to train in general surgery and internal medicine, but today more train in specialties as medical services in their home countries have grown more advanced,” said Taipei Hospital Superintendent Cheng Shun-ping (鄭舜平). Dr. Kebede, for example, is keen to gain experience in laparoscopic and minimally invasive liver surgery, a field in which Taiwan is a world leader. Hospital directors also visit TIHTC for training in smart health care management as the global trend becomes mainstream.
Exchange Programs
Major hospitals throughout Taiwan have overseas networks, such as Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH), one of the country’s top medical institutions. Founded in 1958, the hospital has built connections with counterparts worldwide, including those in Vietnam. According to Liu Chin-su (劉君恕), director of the hospital’s International Medical Service Center, partnership with the Southeast Asian country started in the mid-2000s when he was invited to perform a liver transplant at Hanoi’s Vietnam National Children’s Hospital. TVGH medical professionals have since worked with Vietnamese peers in pediatrics and other disciplines.
Dr. Kirubel Abebe Kebede, center, from Ethiopian in laparoscopic surgery with colleagues at Taipei Hospital (Courtesy of Taiwan International Healthcare Training Center)
Exchanges became more frequent after the MOHW launched the One Country, One Center project in 2018, under which six Taiwan medical centers were assigned outreach and networking responsibilities to strengthen ties and cooperation with medical institutions in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. In 2019, the program was extended to cover Myanmar and Brunei and subsequently revised again in 2022 to add a second medical center in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, respectively. Southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital has since joined TVGH in exchanges with Vietnam. Participation from the latter institution has helped Taiwan develop wider relations.
Before 2018, TVGH had signed memorandums of understanding with two hospitals in Vietnam, but the number has now increased to 29, including the prestigious Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi and Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. The pacts aim to facilitate mutual visits, exchanges and meetings to raise professional ties between partner hospitals. All such activities receive financial support from the MOHW initiative.
Collaboration continued even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly via teleconferencing, though TVGH undertook liver transplants in both Vietnam and Taiwan for Vietnamese patients during the period. In-person interaction resumed in 2022, with one of the most recent events being a series of meetings in Hanoi in late March. “It was the most comprehensive exchange ever between TVGH and Vietnamese hospitals. We shared our strengths, from oncology diagnosis and treatment to smart health care management, as well as signing agreements with three Vietnamese hospitals,” Liu said. Last year also saw more than 30 professionals from various medical centers in Vietnam come to train at TVGH. Termed goodwill ambassadors by TVGH, they can refer patients in their home country to the Taipei hospital for treatment if necessary.
Rational Aims
Despite its high-quality comprehensive medical system and willingness to share expertise, Taiwan is still denied access to the mechanisms, meetings and activities of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its decision-making body, the World Health Assembly (WHA). “Taiwan is not begging to participate. Rather, Taiwan lays out its capacity to assist in upgrading public well-being worldwide. It’s a loss to the international community that Taiwan is still locked out of the WHO,” Hsueh said.
As the 77th WHA approaches, Taiwan continues to seek advances in health and well-being for the global community. The minister specifically noted Taiwan’s desire to participate in the Pandemic Agreement, a proposed framework under the WHO to be discussed at this year’s WHA scheduled for May 27 through June 1 in Geneva. Conceived as a response to COVID-19, it aims to act as a guide for signatories to work together in future pandemics. “Letting Taiwan participate is essential for the world, as we stand to take the first hit from health threats originating in China because of proximity and heavy passenger flow between the two sides,” Hsueh said.
Neither joining the WHA nor being a signatory to the agreement is an easy task for Taiwan despite the significant contributions it makes through bilateral ties and growing international support for the country’s official participation in global health affairs. Last year alone the country inked pacts with Czechia, Lithuania and the U.K. to boost health care cooperation. At the 76th WHA, more like-minded countries backed Taiwan than ever before, with 13 showing solid backing including Australia, France, Japan and the U.S. “Taiwan will continue building substantive relations with allies and like-minded countries while advocating for international support of our WHO bid,” Hsueh said. “Global health challenges will be resolved more efficiently when Taiwan is part of the system.”
Write to Oscar Chung at mhchung@mofa.gov.tw