Four medical specialists from Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, began treating patients in the week before Christmas, as part of the hospital’s annual Medical Mission in Palau.
The four doctors from Shin Kong Hospital arrived aboard the December 14th flight from Taiwan, and, after completing their seven-day quarantine, began seeing patients on December 22. They will continue to see patients up to January 13.
The doctors include a pediatrics specialist, an orthopedic specialist, a family medicine specialist, and a pharmacy counselling specialist.
Shin Kong Hospital has had a special partnership with Belau National Hospital for over a decade. The annual mission involves a small team of doctors in specialized fields to provide medical assistance and consultation to healthcare workers in Palau. The mission generally provides for the treatment of hundreds of patients every year.
Orthopedics specialist Dr. Chu Chen Lun, who will provide treatment for musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative joint diseases, and foot and ankle disorders, will be conducting checkups primarily at the Belau National Hospital, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Pediatrics specialist Dr. Kou Tien Lin, who will provide checkups, immunizations, allergy treatment, developmental-behavioral issues care, and nutrition and wight management for children up to 16 years old, will be seeing patients in the Belau National Hospital and the Central Community Health Center in Koror. She specializes in pediatric nutrition and gastroenterology, issues such as vomiting and abdominal pain.
Family medicine specialist Dr. Chen Jo Ning, who will provide preventative care such as routine checkups and immunization, chronic disease management for issues such as diabetes and gout, and managing common complaints such as headaches and insomnia, will be working at the Belau National Hospital, as well as Community Health Centers in Airai, Melekeok, Ngeremlengui, and Ngerchelong.
Medicine counselling specialist Dr. Lee Meng San, who specializes in cancer care, will provide medication quotations, ointments for skin diseases, herbal medication treatments, and consultation for cancer care and prevention, and will be working at the Belau National Hospital, as well as Community Health Centers in Airai, Koror, Melekeok, Ngeremlengui, and Ngerchelong.
The pediatrics, family medicine, and medicine counseling specialists will also be paying a visit to the Peleliu Community Health Center on January 8 and the Angaur Community Health Center on January 11.
While Shin Kong Hospital has been an active contributor to healthcare in Palau for over ten years, it has been particularly active in the preparation for COVID within the past year. In April, Shin Kong was instrumental in donating 1,000 COVID test kits, medical supplies and equipment to the Palau Ministry of Health, as well as medical professionals who trained healthcare workers in Palau to properly use the equipment. In July, Pathology Specialist Lu-Chueh Ling from Shin Kong Hospital arrived in Palau to help orchestrate a screening process for inbound passengers.
Palau, one of only fourteen UN member states which has full diplomatic relations with Taiwan, regularly sends medical referral patients to Taiwan for treatment.
Taiwan, which had managed to go over 250 days from April to December without a single recorded COVID case, saw its first new reports of community-transmitted COVID cases last week.