24 Jul 2006

Taiwan bolsters medical mission programme to Marshall Islands

3:07 pm on 24 July 2006

Taiwan is to bolster its medical mission programme to the Marshall Islands as an expanded aid programme gets under way.

The Taiwanese ambassador, Lien-gene Chen, says the first visit last month by a medical team was very successful with a number of complicated surgeries undertaken which would have normally had to be referred off island.

He says it went so well that there are plans for a second medical mission to arrive before the end of the year, and the programme, which costs about 500,000 U.S. dollars annually, will continue in following years.

Mr Chen says there will also be a two way exchange.

"First of all, our doctors will come here to offer their expertise to the local doctors and nurses. And, also we are choosing the doctors and the nurses to receive a training programme in Taiwan. We will offer to doctors to receive a 3 month training course."

Mr Chen says two nurses are scheduled to depart for Taiwan for a three week training programme within the next couple of weeks.