Taiwan committed to assisting in global medical care

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) Taiwan is willing and has a responsibility to help countries in need in terms of health and medical care, despite bullying by China, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) said Monday.

"As a constructive member of the international community and strong in health and medical care, Taiwan is willing and has the responsibility to assist countries that lag behind in this field in order to make greater contributions to all mankind, despite the fact that China has not slowed down in its bullying of Taiwan," Huang said.

"Based on the universal value of human health rights, Taiwan is committed to continuing helping its diplomatic allies and cooperating with other like-minded countries on issues concerning global medical assistance, humanitarian relief and cross-border disease prevention," he stressed.

Huang's remarks came after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shed light on news Sunday that Taiwan has been providing medical treatment for more than 10 seriously ill refugees being held by Australia on Nauru and who were sent to Taiwan by the Australian authorities under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Taiwan to provide medical treatment for such asylum seekers.

Under the MOU that was signed last September, the Taiwan Adventist Hospital began in January to admit refugees and asylum seekers from Australia's offshore immigration detention center on Nauru who need but cannot obtain urgent medical care there, MOFA spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said the previous day.

The MOU states that the two signatory parties should follow international human rights standards to ensure that the people involved receive dignified treatment and proper medical care, Lee said.

Since the implementation of the cooperation plan, Taiwan has provided medical care for more than 10 asylum seekers from the Nauru detention facility, he said.