Taiwan deepens medical cooperation with Eswatini, eyes AI integration

Taipei, May 3 (CNA) Taiwan is expanding its long-standing medical cooperation with Eswatini, with future efforts to focus on digital health and artificial intelligence applications, Health Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said Sunday.

Shih made the remarks on the sidelines of a health forum in Taipei, as President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) continued a state visit to Eswatini, Taiwan's sole African ally.

Lai arrived in Eswatini on Saturday after an earlier planned visit was suspended due to revoked overflight permits.

Shih said Taiwan's medical mission in Eswatini has operated for years, initially focusing on clinical services and personnel training with support from Taipei Medical University (TMU).

In recent years, cooperation has expanded to building healthcare information systems similar to those used in Taiwan, covering services from outpatient registration to treatment and medication management, he said.

Shih said the next phase will center on adopting Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), an international standard for medical records that could help Eswatini develop AI-assisted healthcare systems.

FHIR is a global standard for structuring and sharing medical data across healthcare systems, allowing different platforms to exchange patient information more efficiently.

According to TMU, its team in Eswatini currently includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists and administrative staff, and works on public health, clinical care, medical education and the introduction of smart healthcare.

The mission has also helped establish a national physician licensing system and provided support during the COVID-19 pandemic, including critical care training, the university said.

Taiwanese medical teams have introduced specialized services not widely available locally, such as neurosurgery and orthopedic procedures, it added.

Medical services now provide more than 10,000 patient visits annually, helping reduce the need for costly treatment abroad, including in South Africa, TMU said.