TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei City Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) addressed the city government's congestion issue in emergency departments on Sunday (Feb. 24), emphasizing the administration's commitment to healthcare workers by halving the annual contribution from the Taipei City Hospital System's (台北聯合醫院系統) Department of Health (衛生局) to NT$50 million to improve labor conditions and offer competitive salaries.
The Taiwan Society of Emergency Medicine (TSEM, 台灣急診醫學會) reported on Feb. 22 that congestion in the emergency department has reached unprecedentedly high levels this year. The TSEM warned that if the situation persists, a mass resignation of emergency medical staff could occur. Even though the Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛生福利部) attributed the congestion partly to the flu, norovirus outbreaks, and cold weather, Assitant Secretary General of TSEM Lee Chih-huang (李智晃) argued that manpower shortage is the primary factor.
Li elaborated that the imbalance between available hospital beds and emergency admissions, alongside inadequate nursing staff, has led to closed wards, creating a domino effect. During the Lunar New Year holiday, emergency visits averaged 37,000 daily, a significant increase from last year's 27,000. The Taiwan Union of Nurses Association (護理師護士公會全國聯合會) hosted the "Walk for Health, Walk with Nurses" (健康台灣全國護理健走日) yesterday, where Mayor Chiang participated.
