Taiwan’s MacKay Hospital to strengthen public health system in SVG

TAIWAN’S MACKAY Memorial Hospital has joined efforts of St Vincent and the Grenadines(SVG), to reinforce its public health system, sharing with the country its experience in emergency medical care and combating infectious diseases.

In a press release, the hospital said Taiwan’s Ambassador to SVG Peter Lan and Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment St. Clair Prince signed an agreement entitled: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Public Health Emergency Response System Enhancement Plan, on Tuesday November 2.

By working with MacKay Memorial Hospital and the International Co-operation and Development Fund (ICDF), SVG will strengthen its public health response at various levels including government, medical facilities, and community.

Currently, only five level two and three medical facilities in SVG have emergency departments, and the country is in dire need of technical medical staff and ambulances, according to MacKay Memorial Hospital. It does not have an efficient dispatch system and a lack of practical training means valuable time to save patients often cannot be maximized.

Having aided SVG in its Diabetes Prevention Capability Building Plan from 2018 -2020, MacKay Memorial Hospital took on the four-year Public Health Emergency Response System Enhancement Plan to support Taiwan government efforts to aid diplomatic allies. The hospital said the plan will enhance and

reinforce two aspects of SVG’s medical system: emergency medical care, and infectious disease.

Additionally, the hospital said it will combine the World Health Organization’s (WHO) standards and suggestions for post-trauma recovery with its own expertise in relevant fields. It will also devise comprehensive strategies that integrate policymaking, talent cultivation, medical facility function enhancement, and community public health emergency response awareness.