Pres. Sirleaf meets Japanese Medical team

A High-power delegation of the Japanese Emergency Medicine Association and the Towa Hospital in Japan on Thursday met and held discussions with President Ellen Johnson at her Foreign Ministry Office in Monrovia.

The delegation was headed by Mr. Ryo Chida who is also Director of the Japanese Association of Medical Logistics for Disaster and Japanese Ebola Countermeasure Medical Group. President Sirleaf informed the visiting Japanese delegation that since the incidence of the Ebola Virus Disease, the country has been strengthening its infection control effort and system and would welcome the Japanese contribution and support to the enhancement of the initiative. She recalled the specialized training received in Japan by the late Dr. Borbor and urged the visitors to ensure that other Liberian Doctors can also be trained to fill the vacuum left as a result of Dr. Borbor ‘s death.

President Sirleaf praised the association for a great job and expressed the hope of holding talks with the Prime Minister of Japan during the TECAD Summit, which takes place in Nairobi in August of 2016. “I am aware that you have been holding discussions with our team that includes the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health and I look forward to the signing of a Memorandum that will direct and guide the collaboration and partnership”, President Sirleaf told the visitors.

For his part, Dr. Ryo Chida told President Sirleaf that Japan has a unique system and capacity for infection disease and disaster management and plans to work with the relevant sector institutions to build an infection control system for the country’s healthcare delivery system.

He also indicated that Japan will announce a big package for health-related assistance for countries affected by diseases and disaster, noting that Japan’s experience is great due to many cases of disaster and disease outbreaks that have confronted the Asian nation.-Press release