The European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) yesterday invited presidential candidate Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) for lunch to exchange views, as the foreign trade group found Taiwan lagging behind Japan and South Korea in public health expenditures.
Officials from Novartis AG, a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company, said Taiwan spends less money on public health, compared with South Korea and Japan where people enjoy better healthcare resources and live longer.
They said that new approved drugs need a long time to hit the market and come under national health insurance coverage, denying patients better choices of medication and treatment.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
“Money used on health enhancement should be deemed as investment, instead of expenses,” they said, citing longer life expectancy and less medical need as returns and benefits.
Ko shared the observations, saying that public health spending constitutes only 6 percent of Taiwan’s GDP, much lower than South Korea’s 8 percent and Japan’s 11 percent.
Furthermore, it would take two years before approved new drugs can be bought on the market and is qualified for national health insurance coverage later, Ko added.
Ko said newly approved drugs should be put on the market right away, coming under health insurance coverage after clearing regulatory procedures online.
“Socialism should be upheld regarding public education and health regardless of economic models different countries embrace,” Ko said, adding that he would incrementally raise health expenditure to 8 percent a year if he steers the country.
The former Taipei mayor also proposed what he called a more pragmatic approach to ensure Taiwan’s energy supply stability by promoting “clean energy” to go hand-in-hand with “green energy.”
Ko said he supports the net-zero carbon emissions policy, but would adjust the power mix because heavy reliance on liquefied natural gas is unhealthy and unfeasible.
However, the TPP chairman said he would be flexible on wind farm regulations by allowing the market mechanism to settle disputes over the required technology localization.
“People in objection of the market mechanism should explain why and come up with alternative and practical solutions,” he said.
Ko added he would ease labor rules and allow more foreign workers into the nation, helping solve manpower shortages faced by assorted sectors on condition that they pay headcount taxes.
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