Paraguay officials explore medical exchange options
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
A visiting delegation of Paraguayan officials led by Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare Isaias Fretes is to explore new opportunities for medical and health exchanges between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday.
The delegation also includes Social Security Institute President Derlis Leon and Hassel Jimmy Jimenez, a representative of the Paraguayan Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, as well as the health ministry’s director-general of international relations, Adriana Amarilla, and its director general of health communication, Alejandro Fernandez.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) hosted its members at a luncheon at noon on Monday to welcome them on behalf of the government.
Paraguayan Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare Isaias Fretes, left, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, right, pose for a photograph at a meeting in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Screen grab from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Web site
Lin welcomed Fretes on his first visit to Taiwan and told the luncheon that during his visit to Paraguay in July last year, he gained firsthand insight into key Taiwan-Paraguay public health and medical projects, the statement said.
The projects include the Health Information System project and the Asuncion General Hospital construction project, he said.
The government is connecting top-tier hospitals in Taiwan to work with Asuncion Hospital, aiming to combine healthcare expertise and resources from both sides to open a new chapter in Taiwan-Paraguay smart healthcare cooperation, he said.
Lin thanked the Paraguayan government for its firm support of Taiwan in the international arena, especially Paraguayan President Santiago Pena’s address at this year’s UN General Assembly, which fully demonstrated the deep friendship between Taiwan and Paraguay.
The government and the public deeply appreciate the support, and hope Fretes would continue to back Taiwan and speak up for the nation at next year’s World Health Assembly, Lin said.
Fretes expressed his gratitude to the Taiwan government for its long-term support in modernizing Paraguay’s public health system, and praised Taiwan’s rich experience and outstanding achievements in smart healthcare, infectious disease prevention and control, and the National Health Insurance system, the statement said.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed” Fretes said, highlighting the friendship between Taiwan and Paraguay, forged as both nations supported each other through their respective challenging journeys of development.
Education and talent cultivation are important cornerstones for the sustainable development of a nation’s healthcare system, he said, adding that he hopes to learn more about Taiwan’s healthcare system during his visit, further deepening medical personnel training and professional cooperation between the two countries.
As Saturday is Lidong (立冬, the first day of winter), the weather is getting colder, so now is the perfect time for a cozy and nourishing meal, Lin wrote on Facebook on Monday, adding that the foreign ministry prepared a special dish — chicken soup with yam — to convey its warm welcome to the delegation.
The delegation is scheduled to meet with hospital management and healthcare experts at major hospitals, as well as visit the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the International Cooperation and Development Fund, the statement said.
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