"We [the DOH] want to help people understand that managing their health, rather than looking for better treatment, is the key to a healthier life."
Besides promoting public health education during his term at the DOH, Lee also led delegations to Geneva to push for Taiwan's admission to the WHO. Although the goal has not been realized, Lee's effort has been recognized by the public.
"I only picked up where my predecessors left off and fought for the benefit of Taiwan at the international forum," the director-general said.
Lee's close friends praised his performance at the DOH.
"Lee is a benevolent scholar who really cares about the welfare of the people," said Huang Fu-Yuan (黃富源), the former deputy director-general of the DOH and Lee's close friend.
Huang also said that Lee always mentioned the Buddhist teaching of "all lives are equal" when delivering speeches or when conversing with colleagues in the department.
Indeed, after Lee took over at the DOH, he immediately put up notes on the bulletin board asking colleagues not to be afraid of him or keep him at a distance just because he is the director-general of the department.
In a bid to promote organ donation in Taiwan, Lee asked his wife to be an advocate for the practice by having her sign an organ-donation card.
"The atmosphere in the DOH has changed since Lee joined. The human interactions within the department have become frequent and warm," Huang said.
On hearing Huang's comment, Lee said that the sense of humanity is actually the catalyst in managing the national health system.
"A genuinely healthy society requires not only physical health, but also mental and psychological health," he explained.
"Without the human component, the [health] system would be cold, detached and its improvement would be limited."
Asked about his plans for the future, the director-general smiled and said that life could not be planned. Nevertheless, he hoped to be able to spend some time with his wife and three daughters once he leaves public office.
"Although I dare not boast about what I have done for Taiwan, I hope I can spend some time with my family before I get too old to walk around and think clearly," he said.
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