16/08/2023
Saint Lucian delegation headed to Taiwan
By Ministry Of Health
A total of 15 trainers are expected to head to Taiwan over a three-year span, where they will be trained in Chronic Disease Prevention and Control. The inauguration ceremony for the commencement of the course was held on Aug. 11 at the Ministry of Health.
Project Manager John Lin said personnel from different specialties will be chosen to attend the training.
A seven-member delegation from the Cathay General Hospital met with the first five trainers, who are expected to leave this September. The group consists of Medical Officer Dr. Marlon Ragunanan, nurses Alexandra Jemmot and Jasmin Daniel, nutritionist Ms. Olivia Felix and the lead on the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, Nurse Yolanda Alcindor.
Dr. Marlon Ragunanan, a former scholar of the I-Shou University of Taiwan, praised the quality of education offered by the friendly nation. He is lobbying for a new approach that includes establishing team and community-based methods of fighting the chronic illnesses.
“I believe that is the way to go, and with the assistance of our friends from Taiwan I hope that we can gain additional insight that will help to establish such a system of care in our local setting. Adopting some of the strategies that are used in Taiwan can be helpful and impact the treatment and management of metabolic diseases in Saint Lucia.”
The seed trainers, set to leave for Taiwan in September, will meet a new curriculum tailored to Saint Lucia and its needs.
Dr. Lin Ching-Ling was part of the seven-member delegation from the Cathay General Hospital visiting Saint Lucia to assess the island’s health needs.
“After this visit our team at the Cathay General Hospital will organize a customized curriculum for the trainers to come to strengthen their capacity. I believe they will benefit from the tailored training program in Taiwan and achieve successful implementation after they return to your beautiful country.”
Taiwanese Ambassador H.E. Peter Chia-Yen Chen said Saint Lucia and Taiwan continue to strengthen ties. He highlighted the activity as another milestone for the cooperation between the two countries.
Minister for Health Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste expressed gratitude to all who made the venture possible.
“I know that all of our healthcare workers have made tremendous sacrifices. Daily you make sacrifices for the people of Saint Lucia. The government is proud of your dedication and commitment. We know that you do not have everything that you need, and we are trying our very best to give you what you need to do your work. We thank you for your work. We thank the government and people of Taiwan for the partnership.”
Upon completion of the training, work is expected to begin in regions 5, 6, 7 and 8. The seed trainers are expected to conduct a series of workshops with other health practitioners as the island continues to improve the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases.
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