An 11-member mobile medical team from Taiwan have treated 1,200 patients at Sulayman Junkung Hospital in Bwiam (Western Region), AFPRC Hospital in Farafenni (North Bank Region), and a number of patients at Sap (Central River Region). The cases treated included malaria, diabetes, and hypertension.

The Taiwanese medical specialists arrived in the country on December 9, to offer two-week long humanitarian health services to provincial Gambia. Led by Dr Jeffrey Chih-Fu Chen, division chief of the Technical Cooperation Department at the Taiwan International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF), the team was hosted to a dinner on Friday night at the residence of the Taiwanese Ambassador to The Gambia, Dr Patrick Chang.

The farewell dinner was also attended by Dr Malick Njie, secretary of state for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adama Sallah, chairman of the RVTH Management Board, Mariatou Jallow, chief medical director of RVTH and Dr Ousman Nyan, deputy vice chancellor of the University of The Gambia, as well as staff of the Taiwanese Embassy in Banjul.

Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Chang thanked the government officials for honouring the invitation and expressed delight with the state of cooperation between Banjul and Taipei. He assured the secretary of state of his embassy's cooperation and support at all time and then commended the mobile medics for administering service to the rural Gambia.

For his part, the Health and Social Welfare Secretary of State Njie thanked the mobile medical team for taking health to the doorstep of the rural Gambia. Dr Njie, who was upbeat about further health cooperation with the Asian-Pacific island state, expressed delight with the cooperation in health and splashed praises on Ambassador Chang for his commitment to promote relations between the two countries.