Page 18 - DIVA_2_2007_No.29

TaiwanlHA Medical Team Helps Tsunami

Victims in the Solomon Islands

TaiwanIHA i'iislied to Gizo to ments for tlie displaced peo-
In early April this year, a ple on tlie hillsides of Gizo.
work at a makesliift liospital.
devastating eaitliqriake and Tliey lcept in contact witli res- After monitoring tlie overall
sribsequent tsunami struck cue tean'is from the Solomon public liealtl'i smiation, slie
tlie Solomon Islands, causing Islands Ministi'y of Healtli, instructed tlie residents to
severe damage to tlie area. tlie World Healtli watcli local sanitation, and
Taiwan Intei'national Healtli Organization, Australia, keep tlie drii'ilcing water and
Action (TaiwanIHA) in'une- Japan and Canada. Tliey also food away from luunan waste
diately dispatched a medical partook in a n'iultilateral res- and garbage.

inission to this cormtry. Tlie cue conference organized by
team initially took witli it tlie SOlOmOl] Islands The teai'ii was escorted by a
c more tlian 300 lcilogran'is of Emergency Operations Staff member from tlie
i'iiedicine and first aid eqriip- Centre. Taiwan Embassy and an agri-
ment. Water and food from cultural expert from tlie
Honiara were also obtained One of tlie TaiwanIHA medi- Taiwan Tecluiical Mission
for medical sei'vices to vic- cal doctors, Dr. Clien HOu- (TTM). Owing to food and
tims in tlie Westein Province cliang (an ortliopedic sur- water sliortages, catering for
of tlie Solomon Islands. geon), treated many patients tlie medical staff at a disaster
sriffering from liemoaitliritis area is a vei'y important taslc
Taiwan also donated (knee inflanunation), open for sucli care is necessai'y to
C US$200,000 and 1,000 kilo- worinds and dislocated joints. tl'ie fiuictions and performan-
grams of rice to the Solomon Dr. Tseng Slui-cluian (also a ce of tlie medical team. Mr.
expeit,
agi'icultural
Islands Red Cross Society surgeon) lielped clieck tlie Tsai, an anotlier resident
and
E (SIRCS) for use in emergen- healtli of n'iany women and Taiwanese contributed great-
inedicines
for tliem.
prescribe
cy relief in provinces
affected
by tl'ie ts'imami. Tlie doctors Dr. Cliori Mei-chu, an expe- ly to tlie preparation of meals
are Taiwan's latest foi'i'n of rienced public l'iealtli expert, and drinks for tlie tean'i.
support for tlie nation. supei'vised tlie interim l'iospi-
I tal area as well as tlie settle- During tl'ieir n'iission, a

Tliree medical doctors from
16 2 2007 Diva
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