TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛福部) announced Monday (Jan. 6) plans to enhance anesthesia training across medical disciplines, with discussions set to begin after the Lunar New Year. This initiative aims to address concerns over anesthesiologist shortages, as Kuomintang (國民黨) Legislator Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉) and others suggest that surgeons in specialties like cardiac and transplant surgery undergo anesthesia training.
The Ministry also plans to assess the volume of anesthetic surgeries and equipment in cosmetic clinics to ensure safety standards remain uncompromised. They will propose a regional defense concept to help smaller hospitals and clinics utilize anesthesiologist resources more effectively. The Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists (台灣麻醉醫學會) and surgeons oppose KMT Legislator Su's proposal, arguing that the issue stems from uneven resource distribution, not a shortage of anesthesiologists.
Yu Huang-ping (余黃平), former president of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists, emphasized that the anesthesiologist workforce in Taiwan has increased by 17% from 2018 to 2023, while surgeries under National Health Insurance (全民健保) rose only 6.6%. You stated that the problem lies in anesthesiologists' improper utilization of the workforce, not a shortage. He also highlighted that many anesthesia-related safety incidents involve Propofol, advocating for its restricted use and better management.
