BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
TWO Taiwanese medical doctors are working at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) under a volunteer work arrangement between the governments of Solomon Islands and Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Embassy in the country through the Taiwan Health Centre (THC) deployed the two young doctors – Dr Liu Kuan Fu and Dr Li Cheng Yu, who will be here for a four-month period.
Since arriving in early March, the two have been assigned to work at the NRH and Honiara City Council clinics and have contributed through their expertise and service.
Fu is stationed at the Orthopaedic ward while Yu is at the surgical ward and emergency department including HCC clinics.
According to the THC timeframe, they will spend a month and two weeks working respectively at the NRH and HCC clinics before finishing off the last month by joining the Taiwan Mobile team’s visit to Malaita province in June.
Both have referred to their stay and work in the country as “interesting” especially the experience of learning about the country’s medical issues such as the high rate of NCD, malaria, dengue and other related clinical difficulties from local officers.
Yu said they helped with their expertise in different health departments of the NRH according to their line of duty tasked by THC.
He also adds that they are both willing to support Solomon Islands with their expertise and are looking for opportunities as well for further support.
“We are here not only to help with our expertise but collect information as well and give back to THC to produce a report and send back to Kaohsiung Medical University and then support will come,” Yu said.
Fu said they both come from different institutions in Taiwan and are doctors who are happy to provide support for Solomon Islands particularly at NRH for their four-month stay here.
“We joined the substitute military service, a programme in Taiwan. The platform provides us opportunities to use our expertise to serve in foreign countries in medical services and both of us are medical doctors.
“Now we in Solomon Islands to use our expertise particularly stationed at the surgical ward and Emergency department and orthopaedic ward, and this will be a new experience for us.”
THC Leader, Ms Alice HY Hsu said this year is the 13th programme which Taiwan Embassy through its health centre has been coordinating with the NRH.
She adds Taiwan has been deploying doctors and other experts from Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan to do volunteer work for four years now as an arrangement between Taiwan and Solomon Islands.
Hsu said sending doctors and mobile team of experts to Solomon Islands is part of its priorities to support the Solomon Islands health sector.
