According to statistics released by the Ministry of the Interior, the nation's birth rate has dwindled since 2000. However, the number of cases of child or teenager abuse and neglect began to rise over the same period. In 2000, there were 6,059 cases of child and teenager abuse. The number climbed to 7,837 last year, with an average of 21.5 people found to have been abused on a daily basis. In other words, a case of child abuse was reported every 1.1 hours. As bad as those numbers are, they are likely only the tip of the iceberg.
The Children and Juveniles Welfare Law (
As a pediatrician, I and several other professionals in May put together a guide to help coach medical workers on how to engage in child abuse prevention programs. I also plan to invite pediatric clinicians and nursing staff, social welfare organizations and legal experts to jointly compile the nation's first manual on child abuse and the neglect by medical workers and use it as a basis for the government and hospitals to plan training programs on child abuse prevention.
The contents of the manual were discussed and compiled by 32 researchers and reviewed by a host of professionals and medical workers at a grassroots level. We completed a draft manual and held a press conference on Oct. 20 at National Taiwan University Hospital to explain to the public the program's goal.
Most of the attendees at the press conference were nurses and social workers, and only a small number of doctors showed up.
In fact, there were only six in all -- four of them pediatricians. The total number of attendees was far less than those who have attended symposiums connected with medical workers' rights or the nation's overall medical system.
Doctors are supposed to protect children in order to fulfill their social responsibility. With such a commitment, the general public can entrust their health needs and lives to doctors. Over the years, as a result of rapid changes in society and the implementation of the universal health insurance system, the medical profession has changed dramatically.
Therefore, we want to urge the nation's doctors to consider the issue of child abuse from a different perspective, and play a useful role in ensuring our children's safety.
Lee Ming-liang is a former director-general of the Department of Health.
TRANSLATED BY DANIEL CHENG
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.