TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) pledged on Thursday (Feb. 27) to address the overcrowding in Taiwan's emergency rooms by involving local health bureaus to enhance emergency bed supervision and deploy medical center resources effectively.
Speaking at the third meeting of the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee (健康台灣推動委員會), President Lai stated that the Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛福部), following Premier Cho Jung-tai's (卓榮泰) directive, has developed short-term strategies and long-term reforms. These efforts include bolstering the emergency medical network and strengthening inter-hospital cooperation.
Recent reports have highlighted the severe congestion in emergency rooms across Taiwan, leaving medical staff overwhelmed and sparking public concern.
In response to the aging population, Lai emphasized the government's commitment to addressing the long-term manpower issues by incentivizing hospitals to hire more nursing staff. The government will promote home-based medical care and long-term care initiatives to reduce the burden on medical facilities.
