TAIWAN CONTINUES TO SUPPORT SVG PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM
The second cohort of the Public Health Emergency Response System Enhancement Project began training today at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Block 2000.
The 5-day program is sponsored by the Government of the Republic of China on Taiwan in collaboration with Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taiwan and the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment.
The seminars aim to train a variety of health professionals, police, fire, and coast guard officers, the National Emergency and Management Organization, the Red Cross, cadets, and prison employees cooperatively.
Donna Bascombe, Director of Health Security, thanked Taiwan’s Ambassador Peter Sha-Li Lan and his colleagues, as well as MacKay Hospital and the Taiwanese government, for their ongoing assistance.
According to Bascombe, the project’s mission includes basic life support (BLS) training, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) training for clinical and non-clinical staff, mass casualty training, and the procurement of training and emergency response equipment for accident and emergency and fire services.
According to Bascombe, the country now lacks emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
The capacity-building initiatives, on the other hand, are aimed at reforming the emergency response mechanism within the local medical, fire, and police agencies.
The Director of Health Security urged participants to continue learning and growing in order to establish a robust national emergency response system. Taiwan’s Ambassador, His Excellency Peter Sha-Li Lan, stated that because this initiative is about “life and death,” it is a significant undertaking.
The Ambassador further mentioned that seal teachers were trained in Taiwan and are now able to train Vincentians in this specialized field.
Ambassador Lan emphasized that support for emergency response originates from a recognition of the importance of strengthening capacity and ensuring that the medical system cares for everyone. The Public Health Emergency Response Enhancement Project began in November 2022 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.