Taiwan’s medical power shines in SE Asia, helping Philippine patients regain new lives

The Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) organized recently the “Join hands with Taiwan to create a healthy and happy life” webinar, which was held at the Taipei International Convention Center.

During the meeting, five physicians and experts shared the latest medical technology, treatment methods, and services with regard to bone marrow transplantation, reproductive medicine, depression, cerebrovascular disease, and telemedicine consultation with friends in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries to offer more treatment options for patients in need. The event attracted around 900 viewers who participated online and were able to see the live broadcast in real-time.

(From Left) Mr. Onag, a patient from the Philippines, Dr. Chi-Cheng Li, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, 

Dr. Pin-Yao Lin, Lee Women’s Hospital, Ms. Elina H.L. Lee, Executive Vice President, TAITRA,

 Mr. Chin-Tang Wang, President, Medicrowd Smarthealth Co., Ltd., Dr. Ping-Sheng Lu, Landseed International Hospital

In her speech, Executive Vice President Elina Lee of TAITRA stated that various countries had recognized Taiwan’s epidemic prevention achievements. To share epidemic prevention information with the international community, TAITRA launched the “Taiwan Global Anti-COVID-19 Pavilion” in June this year. For decades now, Taiwan has already established a sound medical system as it recruited the best medical talents and adapted the best technologies to provide high-quality medical services.

Dr. Chi-Cheng Li, Director of the Center of Stem Cell and Precision Medicine of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, said that allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is often the ultimate cure for blood cancer or major blood diseases. Before, two unrelated people have only one in ten thousand chances of matching the bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells. But now, through the “half-matched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation technique,” the possibility of successful matching is as high as 90% in relatives, which significantly improves patients’ survival rate.

For 51-year-old Filipino patient Ronel Onag, who recently returned to the Philippines, he graced the event to share his journey and experience recovering from the “half-matched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation” and shed tears of joy. “I am very grateful to Director Chi-Cheng Li and the medical team at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital for their care and the factory owner and friends for the initial connection. In September of last year, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. It was tough to accept my illness. My wife and I felt very sad and helpless. Fortunately, I have now regained my health with everyone’s help.” He also encouraged other patients not to lose hope and stay positive!

Mr. Onag, a patient from the Philippine gave Dr. Chi-Cheng Li of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital a thank you card 

Dr. Pin-Yao Lin, Director of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Lee Women’s Hospital, shared also a case from the Philippines, Mrs. Li (39 years old). Women who are over 35 and have recurrent miscarriages can improve their embryo implantation rate and pregnancy rate through preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS). Mrs. Li also shared her experience of seeking a child through a pre-recorded video. She already experienced two miscarriages before the age of 37 so she decided to undergo PGS for the remaining frozen embryos at the hospital that Dr. Lin recommended. They quickly learned that one of the embryos carry abnormal chromosomes and chose to implant the other two with normal chromosomes to avoid the risk of another miscarriage. She eventually gave birth to twins in 2019 and became a happy mother.

Besides sharing successful cases of superior medical services in Taiwan, the event also invited Cathay General Hospital, Landseed International Hospital, and Medicrowd Smarthealth Co., Ltd. to share psychological and physiological health management and application tools with Chinese people worldwide. Dr. Mao-Xiang Xiao from Cathay General Hospital mentioned a new “r-TMS (Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)” treatment for depression. The repeated and concentrated magnetic pulses stimulate the brain’s emotional management area allowing neurons to release serotonin and other cognitive function hormones to relieve depression.

Dr. Ping-Sheng Lu, the Neuroscience Center of Landseed International Hospital, said that Asians have a higher risk of cerebrovascular disease than Western people. Reports show that the prevalence rate of cerebral aneurysms in Asian adults is 7%, and with the popularity of imaging inspections, more and more early discoveries are made. Also, unruptured aneurysms treatment by transarterial catheterization is minimally invasive compared with traditional craniotomy.

Finally, President Chin-Tang Wang of Medicrowd Smarthealth stated that more than 1,000 cooperative physicians provide telemedicine consulting services online on their medical network. During the epidemic, this service’s utilization rate increased significantly by 47.8%, of which ENT (increased by 135%) and psychology (increased by 41%) were the most significant. President Wang emphasized that digital healthcare is a global trend, and the new coronavirus disease has accelerated this trend. Taiwan’s achievements in epidemic prevention have attracted worldwide attention, and its medical technology is among the world’s best. This is a new opportunity to globalize Taiwan’s medical services, where the online to offline (O2O) integrated “all-customer” service model will be the future of healthcare.

Breakup Manual - Part One

I had the chance to go through my old stuff last weekend as I was trying to declutter before the holidays. I was surprised to find my old "Breakup Manual" that I made around 20 years ago. It was actually a compilation of short stories, poems, and songs that helped me get through when my heart was aching. 

I'm happy to share this with you. Unfortunately, I have no information about the source or the names of the original author. In case you have information, kindly let us know so we can give proper attribution for this post. 

If you are confused or frustrated with your current relationship because you feel your partner is not "romantic", please continue reading below.  

This one is entitled TRUE LOVE. 

My husband is an Engineer by profession, I love him for his steady nature, and I love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad shoulders.

Three years of courtship and now, two years into marriage, I would have to admit, that I am getting tired of it. The reasons of me loving him before has now transformed into the cause of all my restlessness.

I am a sentimental woman and extremely sensitive when it comes to a relationship and my feelings, I yearn for the romantic moments, like a little girl yearning for candy. My husband is my complete opposite, his lack of sensitivity and the inability of bringing romantic moments into our marriage has disheartened me about love.

One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision, that I wanted a divorce.

“Why?” he asked, shocked. “I am tired, there are no reasons for everything in the world!” I answered. He kept silent the whole night, seems to be in deep thought with a lighted cigarette at all times. My feeling of disappointment only increased, here was a man who can’t even express his predicament, what else can I hope from him? And finally, he asked me: "What can I do to change your mind?”

Somebody said it right, it’s hard to change a person’s personality, and I guess, I have started losing faith in him. Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered: “Here is the question, if you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my mind, Let’s say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff, and we both are sure that picking the flower will cause your death, will you do it for me?” He said:” I will give you your answer tomorrow….” My hopes just sank by listening to his response.

I woke up the next morning to find him gone, and saw a piece of paper with his scratchy handwriting, underneath a milk glass, on the dining table near the front door, that goes…. My dear, “I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to explain the reasons further..” This first line was already breaking my heart. I continued reading.

“When you use the computer you always mess up the Software programs, and you cry in front of the screen, I have to save my fingers so that I can help to restore the programs. 

You always leave the house keys behind, thus I have to save my legs to rush home to open the door for you. You love traveling but always lose your way in a new city, I have to save my eyes to show you the way. 

You always have the cramps whenever your “good friend” approaches every month, I have to save my palms so that I can calm the cramps in your tummy.

You like to stay indoors, and I worry that you will be infected by infantile autism. I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories to cure your boredom. 

You always stare at the computer, and that will do nothing good for your eyes, I have to save my eyes so that when we grow old, I can help to clip your nails, and help to remove those annoying white hairs. So I can also hold your hand while strolling down the beach, as you enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful sand… and tell you the color of flowers, just like the color of the glow on your young face. 

Thus, my dear, unless I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do… I could not pick that flower yet, and die.. ”

My tears fell on the letter, and blurred the ink of his handwriting… and as I continue on reading… 

“Now, that you have finished reading my answer, if you are satisfied, please open the front door for I am standing outside bringing your favorite bread and fresh milk…"

I rush to pull open the door, and saw his anxious face, clutching tightly with his hands, the milk bottle and loaf of bread.