Taiwan’s healthcare system has been ranked the best out of 89 countries surveyed, according to the Health Care Index compiled by CEOWORLD Magazine, an online business magazine and news site.
The index measures the overall quality of healthcare systems, including healthcare infrastructure, competencies of healthcare professionals, cost and availability of quality medicine, the magazine said.
It also takes into consideration other factors, including environmental factors, access to clean water, sanitation, government willingness to impose penalties on risks such as tobacco use and obesity, it said.
Of the 89 countries surveyed, Taiwan’s healthcare system scored 78.72 out of 100, the index shows.
However, the index provided no information on how each category was weighted.
Three other Asian nations, South Korea (second), Japan (third) and Thailand (sixth) were also in the top 10.
National Health Insurance Administration Director-General Lee Po-chang (李伯璋) on Thursday said that Taiwan outranked South Korea because only 50 percent of South Korean doctors are part of its healthcare system, while 93 percent of doctors in Taiwan have joined, providing high-quality medical services.
The relationship between the authorities and doctors in South Korea is strained, Lee said, adding that medical practitioners in the country often go on strike.
Lee made the remark in Taipei on the sidelines of the APEC Conference on Medical Information Sharing for Enhancing Medical and Disease Management.
The two-day conference, which ended yesterday, was attended by 40 representatives from 13 countries.
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