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 (
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
‘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
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
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
RSS