Taiwan should enhance the exchange of information and experience
with the Chinese mainland in order to jointly combat the severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a medical expert from Taiwan
appealed Wednesday.
Intensified exchanges could assist Taiwan's efforts in fighting the
disease, which would be beneficial to Taiwanese, said Yi-Ming A.
Chen, president of the Society of Preventive Medicine in Taiwan
during an on-going forum on SARS.
Chen, along with six medical experts and senior health-care
officials from Taiwan, intends to share detailed information on
SARS with his mainland counterparts during the two-day forum.
The forum is helpful for sharing experiences on disease control and
treatment, Chen said, noting that he hopes the two sides across the
Taiwan Straits will set up a long-term mechanism for cooperation on
health care and disease control.
Such a mechanism would facilitate exchanges and cooperation between
the two sides in the event that a new disease emerges, Chen said,
noting his society had initiated exchanges and reciprocal visits
with the mainland's relevant institutes in 1993, and that he
himself had visited the mainland recently to attend an academic
activity on AIDS.
Ruey-Shiung Lin, an epidemiologist from Taiwan, said that the
conference is of great significance and that the mainland's
anti-SARS experience provides ample opportunities for Taiwan's
medical experts and health-care workers to analyse and learn
from.
(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2003)
