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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Medical professionals rally for participation in WHA
Members of medical professional organizations from across the nation gather outside Taipei Railway Station yesterday for a rally in support of Taiwan’s entry to the WHO. Photo: CNA
WHITE COATS AND BALLOONS: The leader of the rally, Yeh Guang-peng, pointed out the nation’s exemplary public health system and response to the SARS crisis
By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
Medical organizations yesterday gathered for a rally in Taipei to call for the nation’s participation in WHO meetings and denounce China for preventing Taiwan’s participation.
Civil groups and protesters from across the nation joined the medical professionals in holding placards and banners in front of Taipei Railway Station.
They held up large plastic sheets spelling out “WHO TW” to represent the event’s main slogan: “The WHO needs Taiwan for global health and security,” the organizers said.
Some medical practitioners donned white uniforms, while protesters handed out white balloons and pamphlets explaining their cause to passers-by.
“This rally was put together quickly and has the support of many medical practitioners and members of the public. We want to show the world that it is not just our government that wants to participate in WHO meetings, but is also the aspiration of most Taiwanese,” said Taiwan Healthy Air Alliance chairman Yeh Guang-peng （葉光芃）, who led the event.
Taiwan did not receive an invitation and is therefore barred from taking part in the 70th session of the World Health Assembly （WHA）, the WHO’s decisionmaking body, that is meeting from today to Wednesday next week in Geneva, Switzerland.
Yeh, a doctor at Changhua Christian Hospital in central Taiwan, said the groups came together to tell the world that “the WHO needs Taiwan, and Taiwan needs the WHO.”
“We are considered one of the leading nations for public health systems and development in medical sciences. During the SARS crisis in 2003 and 2004, Taiwan made significant contributions to the international efforts toward prevention, treatment and containment,” Yeh said.
“The diligence and dedication of the nation’s medical professionals and the coordination by our public health system during SARS were given high praise by other countries. Our exemplary contributions during the crisis was in sharp contrast to China, which attempted to cover up the spreading epidemic, making the problem worse,” he said.
Therefore, when Chinese officials said they would represent Taiwan at the WHA session, “most Taiwanese cannot accept this, so we want to tell the world that Taiwan should be accepted as a member of WHO, and should be allowed to take part in next year’s WHA session,” he said.
Taiwan was denied an invitation to the WHA session due to China’s application of political pressure to member nations and to the WHO secretariat, Yeh said, adding that “this kind of unruly and detestable behavior by Beijing has angered many Taiwanese, including medical professionals. We urge the WHO and other nations not to succumb to China’s unreasonable demands.”
The rally was also supported by members of the Taiwan Medical Association, the Taiwan Association of Family Medicine, the Republic of China Primary Care and Family Medicine Association, the Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology and several other professional medical organizations.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
