Newly sworn-in Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) yesterday said he would continue to carry out current policies and avoid drastic personnel changes, reiterating that the healthcare industry is part of the service industry, as health practitioners are dedicated to serve humanity.
Chen made the remarks in a meeting with the media shortly after a morning inauguration ceremony at the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taipei.
During the ceremony, former minister of health and welfare Lin Tzou-yien (林奏延) said he was grateful that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Lin Chuan (林全) had given him the opportunity to work with the ministry’s team, saying that it had been the biggest honor of his life.
“Chen was a former deputy minister of the [former] Department of Health and drafted the white paper for the Tsai administration’s medical policies, so he is very familiar with policies and operations,” Lin Tzou-yien said. “He is also skilled at cross-discipline communication and a very appropriate person for the job.”
Lin Tzou-yien said that over the past four months he had focused on managing progress of the “long-term care services program 2.0,” but added that there remain tasks that Chen must complete, including the establishment of the program’s information system, as well as changes to the National Health Insurance and drug addiction prevention programs.
Integration between the social welfare and healthcare sectors is critical to the success of the long-term care program, he said, urging people in related agencies to put aside departmental selfishness and cooperate to create a ministry.
Asked by reporters if he would carry out Lin Tzou-yien’s plan to establish a specialized department to execute long-term care policies, Chen said that as his basic plan is to “continue policies, but strive for personnel stability,” he would prefer to operate in the existing organizational framework for now.
Regarding an earlier remark about the healthcare industry being a part of the services industry, which triggered criticism from medical professionals, Chen quoted the Declaration of Geneva (commonly known as the Physician’s Oath): “I solemnly pledge to consecrate my life to the service of humanity” and said that medical fees are listed as “healthcare and social work services” in the government’s occupational classification.
Minister of Labor Lin Mei-chu (林美珠), Council of Agriculture Minister Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢) and Minister of Science and Technology Chen Liang-gee (陳良基) were also sworn in at the event.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS