TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) revealed critical insights on Monday (March 3) regarding the persistent issue of hospital overcrowding, pinpointing the pandemic and other contributing factors. As part of a comprehensive strategy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛福部) has unveiled plans to strengthen regional defenses in government hospitals and promote public awareness of tiered medical care to address the crisis.
MOHW reportedly held three meetings to develop response plans. These strategies involve asking organizations to design tiered medical care guidelines for patients. Statistics from the ministry show outpatient and emergency visits for flu-like symptoms reached a peak of 185,553 visits in the sixth week of this year, decreasing to 105,436 visits by the ninth week.
Deputy Director General Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) of the Taiwan Centers of Disease Control (CDC, 疾管署) noted a 24% drop in emergency visits in the ninth week compared to the previous week, indicating a downward trend in the epidemic. Lo also highlighted an 18.3% decrease in diarrhea-related outpatient and emergency visits during the same period, although the risk of norovirus transmission remains.
Liu Yueh-ping (劉越萍), an MOHW official, mentioned that despite efforts to encourage clinics to extend hours during the Lunar New Year, emergency patient numbers did not decrease as expected. In February, officials held three meetings to strengthen bed allocation mechanisms. From Feb. 13 to March 15, the ministry converted special beds into general wards, with 65% of the 585 transfers going to high-level First-Aid Capabilities Hospital (急救責任醫院).
