The Director-General of the Department of Health, Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday implied that he will quit the position at the end of this year.
Urging Deputy Minister Chang Hung-jen (張鴻仁) to stay on the job to tackle the thorny issue of national health insurance, Chen expressed his wish to return to the academic field in December.
Chang tendered his resignation earlier this week after the health insurance coverage allocation system triggered a strong backlash from regional hospitals, which complained that the allocation of medical resources under the system is unfair.
During the SARS epidemic last year, Chen was asked to temporarily set aside his research position as a professor of public health at National Taiwan Normal University and take up the director-general post.
"Research is my life," Chen told reporters before he gave a speech on the impact of arsenic on human health yesterday morning. "Out of a sense of duty, I reported to the [director-general] post," Chen said. "I know much reform to the national health insurance system needs to take place," he said.
Chen also said that he will recruit a public panel to discuss reforms by the end of December.
"The citizen panel can decide on a direction for the new director-general to follow," he said.
"With the our insurance system now at the moment of crisis, it is my sincerest hope that Chang can stay on to assist in reform."
Chen said he hopes that holding the civic meeting will come to a consensus on reforming the health insurance program -- which has been operating at a loss -- before he leaves the department.
He said the department is currently planning to hold the civic meeting in December after representatives of the meeting are selected in November.
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