On June 19, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Taipei to strengthen humanitarian aid, improve medical services, and train healthcare capabilities for communities in Mongolia. The agreement, established between the Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, the Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, and the Ulaanbaatar Trade and Economic Representative Office in Taipei, aims to elevate the medical capacity in Mongolia’s remote regions and build a more robust public health and community care system.
The signing ceremony was completed by Representative Temuulen of the Ulaanbaatar Trade and Economic Representative Office, Tzu Chi Charity Foundation CEO Po-Wen Yen (顏博文), and Tzu Chi Medical Foundation CEO Chin-Lon Lin (林俊龍), marking a new stage of collaborative development in healthcare.
Expanding access to rural healthcare
Mongolia’s vast and sparsely populated landscape presents significant public health challenges, leaving some remote areas with long-term shortages in medical resources. To help address these needs, Tzu Chi has consistently provided humanitarian support in the region. Last year, the organization donated 2,590 warm blankets and six ambulances to ensure that residents in distant areas receive timely and practical assistance.
According to Representative Temuulen, this new partnership extends beyond material aid. It will deepen professional training, medical services, and the exchange of clinical experience. By focusing on the education of healthcare professionals, the initiative seeks to lay a sustainable foundation for Mongolia’s medical system.
Po-Wen Yen noted that the agreement represents a deepening commitment to vulnerable populations in Mongolia. Moving forward, the foundation plans to tailor its support based on local needs, gradually implementing disaster relief, living supply distribution, and community welfare programs to help improve the living conditions and health environments of local residents.
Empowering medical professionals
A central feature of the collaboration is the "Medical Personnel Training Program." This initiative will select outstanding medical students and healthcare workers from Mongolia to receive advanced clinical training in Taiwan.
The responsibilities are shared across Tzu Chi’s missions: the Charity Foundation will provide administrative and living support for the visiting professionals, while the Medical Foundation will oversee their professional coursework, clinical internships, and medical exchanges. This structure is designed to help participants integrate advanced medical technologies and patient care philosophies into their practice back home.
Chin-Lon Lin emphasized that improving a region's medical environment fundamentally relies on the cultivation of its healthcare professionals. Utilizing the extensive clinical training systems and international medical experience within its network, the Medical Foundation hopes this technical exchange will enhance the capacity for critical care and the overall quality of medical services available to the Mongolian public.
Establishing a comprehensive care network
In addition to hosting Mongolian medical personnel in Taiwan, Tzu Chi medical teams will schedule regular visits to Mongolia. During these trips, they will conduct teaching ward rounds, offer clinical guidance, and engage in specialty medical exchanges to help local hospitals strengthen their treatment capabilities.
For special or highly complex medical cases that cannot be treated locally, the partnership establishes a two-way referral mechanism. By integrating charity and medical resources, patients requiring advanced procedures can be connected with international medical systems for further treatment opportunities.
Through these targeted initiatives in education, humanistic care, and professional medical training, the collaboration aims to transform cross-border support into a sustainable network of health and hope for the people of Mongolia.
Written by Fu-Chiang Yen (顏福江), Edited by Yu-Chen Pan (潘俞臻)
