The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday announced a plan for six local hospitals to each form a medical team to improve the healthcare in six other Asian countries and lay the groundwork to boost Taiwan’s healthcare and medical sector.
The hospitals would help train medical personnel in the countries and give overseas Taiwanese businesspeople health consultations, Office of International Cooperation official Hsu Ming-hui (許明暉) told a news conference.
They would also create a bridge between Southeast Asia and Taiwanese healthcare institutions and medical device exporters, and engage in market research and study the laws and regulations of health-related sectors in those countries, he said.
Among the goals are increasing the amount spent by foreigners who travel to Taiwan for healthcare services to NT$30 billion (US$1 billion) per year and helping boost the growth of Taiwanese medical device exports to 20 percent per year, Hsu was quoted as saying by Chinese-language media outlet CNews.
The six countries are Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, he said.
Vietnam is to be served by Veterans General Hospital, the Philippines by Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, India by National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Thailand by Changhua Christian Hospital, Malaysia by Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital and Indonesia by National Taiwan University Hospital, Hsu said.
It was not clear if the medical teams would station doctors or establish hospitals in the countries.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Taiwan hopes to establish a prevention network against diseases in the various countries and contribute to regional health.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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