During his presidential election campaign, President William Lai (賴清德) revealed his ambition to create a “Healthy Taiwan,” a policy component of his “National Project of Hope” initiative, which has garnered significant public interest.
Even before taking office, Lai appointed former National Cheng Kung University Hospital superintendent Chen Jyh-hong (陳志鴻) to hold seminars around the nation and survey people on their healthcare needs and concerns.
On Wednesday last week, Lai announced plans to establish three committees to address public issues, including one aiming at promoting healthcare in Taiwan.
The president is a qualified expert in healthcare. He is knowledgeable about preventative, clinical and rehabilitative medicine, and has a deep understanding of elderly, long-term and palliative care.
In his first month in office, Lai’s efficient, pragmatic and no-nonsense approach has been a breath of fresh air.
Yet, some believe that setting up committees in the Presidential Office is redundant and could undermine ministries. Others worry that Lai might overstep his power, potentially shifting toward a full presidential system as opposed to the current semi-presidential system.
However, by using the term “advisory,” Lai has made it clear that his intention is simply to gather a wide range of opinions. The three committees are consultative in nature, and the actual implementation of policies remains the responsibility of ministries and agencies under the Executive Yuan.
“Health” is not synonymous with “medical treatment.” Beyond healthcare reform, the “Healthy Taiwan” plan touches upon disease prevention, health maintenance and promotion, and teaching people correct information about health from a young age.
Prioritizing nutrition, exercise, mental and physical health, and early-stage screenings, as well as obesity and cancer prevention, is especially critical. This holistic approach aims to combat misinformation and encourage healthy lifestyles.
To bring this plan to fruition, the Health Promotion Administration, the K-12 Education Administration and the Sports Administration are expected to play increasingly significant roles and be allocated greater resources over the course of Lai’s presidency.
The healthcare sector has faced significant challenges in the past few years, casting a shadow on what was once a source of national pride.
The National Health Insurance (NHI) system and a loss of personnel are closely intertwined: The chronic underfunding of the medical sector has led to a critical shortage of medical staff, forcing hospitals at various levels to restrict available beds.
Should the situation fail to improve quickly, it would inevitably result in long waits for emergency and outpatient services, surgical backlogs and even preventable deaths. Furthermore, the outflow of medical staff would considerably affect the quality of care.
Swift and substantial changes are necessary. Funding solutions have already been identified at the “Healthy Taiwan” forums. What is needed now is action. Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) promised a one-year turnaround, but the plan still requires the financial support and backing of the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan.
Regardless, government coffers are limited, and the NHI system cannot cover everything. It should remain a social insurance system and not lean too heavily toward social welfare. Otherwise, it would lead to a “rob Peter to pay Paul” situation with not nearly enough money to go around.
Regarding cost-saving measures, the committee can build on the remarkable results achieved by former NHI Administration director-general Lee Po-chang (李伯璋), and work on proposing feasible solutions to reduce resource waste.
Given the unpopularity of raising premiums, NHI Administration Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) has suggested a “two-tier healthcare” plan based on practices in developed countries.
The system would allow people to purchase additional coverage, ensuring that individuals can obtain new cancer drugs without enduring excessive financial strain.
Even if managed by private insurance companies, economies of scale would still make the premiums relatively affordable, and strong government oversight would ensure public trust in the system.
That proposal merits thorough discussion.
All in all, the Taiwan health promotion committee must aim to go beyond abstract principles and policies, prioritizing the development of tangible proposals that can promptly be put into action across various governmental departments.
Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo’s (郭智輝) policies of bringing “international businesses to Taiwan” and “Taiwanese businesses to the world” serve as excellent examples of such practical planning and implementation. We can only hope that the committee would deliver similarly concrete and viable policies to turn the “Healthy Taiwan” plan into a reality.
Jeng Cherng-jye is an executive superintendent at Taipei Show Chwan Hospital and a member of Chung Shan Medical University’s board of directors.
Translated by Gabrielle Killick
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long been expansionist and contemptuous of international law. Under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the CCP regime has become more despotic, coercive and punitive. As part of its strategy to annex Taiwan, Beijing has sought to erase the island democracy’s international identity by bribing countries to sever diplomatic ties with Taipei. One by one, China has peeled away Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic partners, leaving just 12 countries (mostly small developing states) and the Vatican recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign nation. Taiwan’s formal international space has shrunk dramatically. Yet even as Beijing has scored diplomatic successes, its overreach
In her article in Foreign Affairs, “A Perfect Storm for Taiwan in 2026?,” Yun Sun (孫韻), director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington, said that the US has grown indifferent to Taiwan, contending that, since it has long been the fear of US intervention — and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) inability to prevail against US forces — that has deterred China from using force against Taiwan, this perceived indifference from the US could lead China to conclude that a window of opportunity for a Taiwan invasion has opened this year. Most notably, she observes that
For Taiwan, the ongoing US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets are a warning signal: When a major power stretches the boundaries of self-defense, smaller states feel the tremors first. Taiwan’s security rests on two pillars: US deterrence and the credibility of international law. The first deters coercion from China. The second legitimizes Taiwan’s place in the international community. One is material. The other is moral. Both are indispensable. Under the UN Charter, force is lawful only in response to an armed attack or with UN Security Council authorization. Even pre-emptive self-defense — long debated — requires a demonstrably imminent
Since being re-elected, US President Donald Trump has consistently taken concrete action to counter China and to safeguard the interests of the US and other democratic nations. The attacks on Iran, the earlier capture of deposed of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and efforts to remove Chinese influence from the Panama Canal all demonstrate that, as tensions with Beijing intensify, Washington has adopted a hardline stance aimed at weakening its power. Iran and Venezuela are important allies and major oil suppliers of China, and the US has effectively decapitated both. The US has continuously strengthened its military presence in the Philippines. Japanese Prime
RSS