Under the leadership of President Dr. Ming-Ho Huang, the Show Chwan Health Care System has long been committed to international medical cooperation and the promotion of preventive medicine. In 2015, Show Chwan began its collaboration with Palau by dispatching case managers to work with the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Unit and assist in developing a cloud-based health management system. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in 2016 and renewed in 2020 to strengthen the partnership.
In January 2025, President Huang led a delegation from Show Chwan to Palau to attend the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony and to visit the Ministry of Health. During the visit, he expressed a strong desire to further enhance bilateral collaboration. He proposed dispatching medical teams to provide services in Palau, particularly leveraging Show Chwan’s long-standing expertise in traditional Chinese medicine. President Huang hopes this first collaboration will serve as a foundation for more comprehensive cooperation with the Belau National Hospital (BNH), including the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and ongoing joint programs such as staff training and medical exchange.
An acupuncture clinic along with other services were offered in Palau from June 6 to 10, 2025 by Dr. Chiu Po En, MD., and Nurse Shen-you Chien, RN. (Eva) who is the Show Chwan Hospital Program Manager stationed in Palau. Dr. Chiu’s clinical consultation during this visit allowed the Ministry and local residents to gain a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese medicine. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting strong local interest in future collaboration and exchanges.
A total of 81 patients were seen in these 4 days. The medical mission offered services such as Acupuncture, Cupping, Gua Sha, Fu’s Subcutaneous Needling, and Traditional Chinese Medicine Patch. The Vice President & Minister of Health, The Honorable Raynold B. Oilouch has requested the Show Chwan Representative, Ms. Chien for another similar opportunity this year and to hopefully be offered for 2 weeks. This will give an opportunity for more citizens and residents to benefit from this alternative approach to health and wellbeing.
Looking ahead, Show Chwan plans to continue expanding this initiative and has extended an invitation to BNH’s physical therapy personnel to participate in future training programs. Through sustained international cooperation, the goal is to jointly enhance Palau’s medical services and establish a long-term, in-depth platform for healthcare exchange.