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California hospital association chief calls for Taiwan's WTO membership

California Hospital Association (CHA) President C. Duane Dauner called on Monday for the WHO to grant membership to Taiwan, saying that like other countries, Taiwan was entitled to become a full member of the international health body.

Dauner made the remarks while speaking at a dinner party hosted by Taiwan's representative to the US, Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), to honor California hospital superintendents and chief executive officers from local medical organizations.

Saying that Taiwan's medical treatment system was worthy of study by other countries, Dauner said the association was looking forward to boosting cooperative relations with Taiwan and that the organization will throw its support behind the country's bid to join the WHO.

For his part, Wu told his guests that China had spared no efforts to obstruct Taiwan's WHO bids over the past years, adding that this year, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had sent a letter to WHO Director-General Margaret Chan (陳馮富珍) expressing Taiwan's desire to become a WHO full member under the name of "Taiwan."

According to the results of a recent public opinion survey, 94.7 percent of the respondents expressed their support for the new approach to bidding for WHO membership, Wu said.

Citing Taiwan's recent assistance to Sao Tome and Principe in the African country's fight against malaria, Wu said Taiwan has participated actively in international humanitarian assistance efforts, and as such should be admitted into the WHO.

Taiwan has sought to join the World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO's decision-making arm, as an observer since 1997, but has seen little progress because of China's obstruction.

At the WHA gathering last year, Taiwan's hopes of joining the organization were dashed for the 10th consecutive year when the WHA General Committee decided not to include Taiwan's bid on the assembly's agenda.
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