August 30, 2018
No. 211
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu conferred the Friend of Foreign Service Medal upon China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) on August 29 in recognition of its longstanding participation in international medical affairs and remarkable contributions to promoting medical diplomacy.
As part of the Mobile Medical Mission program launched by the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), CMUH dispatched 11 medical teams to seven diplomatic allies between 2007 and 2011, including countries as far away as Saint Christopher and Nevis, to help enhance the wellbeing of their people. From 2013 to 2017, it sent nine medical teams comprising a total of 158 doctors and nurses on its own initiative to hold free clinics in remote areas in five Southeast Asian countries. A total of 22,021 patients in Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam benefited from these services. Since 2010, CMUH has successfully treated 24 patients with rare deformity diseases from eight nations. One of the beneficiaries of CMUH’s international humanitarian endeavors, Nguyen Thi Loan, was featured in a short film produced by MOFA to support its bid to participate in the World Health Assembly. In addition to offering preferential rates for indigent patients, the hospital also demonstrates its benevolence through fund-raising and generous assistance with cutting-edge medical technology, setting a perfect example of love without borders.
CMUH’s show of expertise and humanitarian concern through its continuing participation in international medical affairs has helped restore health to the sick and prepare them for a new chapter in life. The Friend of Foreign Service Medal is awarded by MOFA in appreciation for its immense contributions to medical diplomacy. (E)