Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday confirmed that Department of Health (DOH) Director-General Twu Shiing-jer (
"Twu called me late Thursday night to say he was quitting and submitted a formal resignation to me this morning," Yu said.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Yu also appointed Su I-jen (
Twu said he must take responsibility for the deaths of doctors and nurses from SARS and the inability of health officials to provide enough protective gear for medical workers on the frontline of the SARS battle.
Chen Chien-jen, who is also the chairman of the Cabinet's SARS Advisory Committee, had previously been named by President Chen Shui-bian to lead the official delegation going to Geneva for the World Health Assembly meeting which starts on Monday.
"Facing the new task [as DOH chief], my departure for Geneva is bound to be postponed," Chen Chien-jen said yesterday.
He had been scheduled to leave for Geneva on Monday.
Chen Chien-jen, 52, is the nation's leading epidemiologist as well as a senior research fellow at Academic Sinica. His is also responsible for reviewing the daily SARS situation in the country and advising the government on how to control the epidemic.
He earned a master's degree in public health from National Taiwan University in 1977 and then received a doctorate in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University in 1982.
The Presidential Office confirmed Chen Chien-jen's official nomination as head of the DOH last night.
Twu said yesterday that he would still be involved in the anti-SARS campaign.
"I will not retreat from front-line SARS-fighting work," Twu said after TSU Legislator Lo Chih-ming (
Meanwhile, the DPP announced yesterday that its deputy secretary-general, Lee Ying-yuan (
"Starting today, Lee will participate in the Cabinet's SARS-prevention team on a temporary-transfer basis until the end of June," DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said.
Lee, who holds a master's degree in public health from Harvard University and received a doctorate in health economics from the University of North Carolina, will serve as a special consultant to the chief of the committee, Lee Ming-liang (
Lee Ying-yuan's role as spokesperson for the DPP and his other party duties will be handled by another deputy secretary-general, Lee Ching-yung (
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting
RSS