Taiwan Today

Taipei City Government announced the medical services plan for the Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade at a news conference Aug. 17, revealing its determination to ensure the safety of participants in the games slated to take place Aug. 19 to 30 next year. Unlike previous games, the medical services at next year’s event in Taipei will incorporate both Western and traditional Chinese medicine. Medical experts will be on call in case of possible emergencies as well as sports injuries, according to the 2017 Universiade’s Executive Committee. “The most unique feature of the medical services next year is the incorporation of TCM,” said Chen Jheng-cheng, director of the Universiade’s Medical Services Division. Clinics will offer non-invasive sports injury prevention services such as acupressure, tendon-soothing maneuvers and medicinal bandaging. According to Chen, medical facilities will be set up in the athletes’ village and three sports venues, namely the Taipei Gymnasium, Sinjhuang Gymnasium in northern Taiwan’s New Taipei City, and the Taipei Tennis Center. The various stations and clinics will be able to administer medicine in nine different fields: TCM, dentistry, emergency treatment, family medicine, general internal medicine, gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics and rehabilitation, as well as ear, nose and throat medicine. “With our unique incorporation of TCM, we aim to provide meticulous care to our distinguished guests so as to showcase Taiwan’s top-notch medical services while promoting our TCM culture,” Chen said. Taiwan is a pioneer in the development and use of TCM. A great number of such treatment methods are covered under the National Health Insurance program, placing the nation at the forefront of the incorporation of traditional medicine into universal health care coverage. The NHI launched in 1995 and is regarded as one of Taiwan’s most impressive achievements. The program covers more than 99 percent of the country’s population, granting them access to inexpensive treatment from some of the world’s most skilled medical practitioners. TCM treatments, particularly cupping therapy, have drawn interest recently due to their use by athletes at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Cupping therapy, however, is not currently included in the services that will be offered at the Universiade, according to Lin Jhan-hong, director of the Taipei Chinese Medical Association. Lin said his organization will continue to hold discussions with Taipei City Government on whether to include the increasingly popular therapy at next year’s games. The 2017 Taipei Universiade will be the largest international sports event in Taiwan’s history, involving an estimated 7,700-plus athletes from 150 countries and territories. Nearly 4,700 medical staff consisting of 608 medical doctors, 1,215 nursing staff, 1,798 first-aid technicians and 1,055 allied health professionals will be recruited for the medical services plan. (SCK-E) Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw