Taiwan has proposed a regular communication channel with India to link up medical agencies to better cooperate in the fight against COVID-19, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told The Hindu in an exclusive interview on May 13.
He said Taiwan’s sharing of information on COVID-19 with countries had been limited by its arrangement with the World Health Organisation. “[India and Taiwan] have engaged in dynamic ongoing communication on many levels. Our sharing of information… has been restricted to relying on the IHR [International Health Regulations] focal point… The arrangement is far from satisfactory. Information has not been shared in a timely fashion,” he said.
Edited excerpts:
What are the main lessons from Taiwan’s experience in battling COVID-19?
Our experience with SARS in 2003 was traumatic. The experience taught Taiwan that acting quickly and ensuring advanced deployment are the keys to preventing the spread of an epidemic. Our government, moreover, has been transparent and has kept the public up-to-date at all times. This is why the Taiwan model of fighting disease has proven effective. When the first case of the coronavirus arrived on January 21, we set up the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC). We quickly issued an export ban on critical medical supplies. We have designated 160 testing facilities around the country. From these facilities, people with the disease are either sent to one of 134 medical facilities for milder cases, or 50 large regional centres for more severe cases. This system allows us to quickly isolate patients based on their severity, as well as allocate medical personnel and equipment. I would like to point out that National Health Insurance, which covers 99% of our people, is the key to our success in rationing critical supplies and contact tracing.