Medical institutions causing serious medical blunders will see the maximum fine raised from NT$150,000 to NT$500,000 and have their operating license revoked or business shut down if draft amendments of the medical treatment law (
The draft, approved by the Executive Yuan yesterday, will proceed to the legislature for further review and final approval.
According to Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲), director-general of the Department of Health, the amendments are designed to fortify the management of medical institutions and ensure patients' interests.
"It's necessary to amend the law because several people's health was jeopardized and lives were lost during the two most recent medical blunders that took place in Taipei County and Pingtung County," Twu said.
The mistake in Taipei County occurred last December when seven babies received injections with the wrong medication at the Peicheng Hospital for Women and Children (
According to investigators, the hospital had placed the muscle relaxant Atracurium in the basket for hepatitis B vaccines without any signs noting the difference.
The foul-up in Pingtung County also took place in December last year. Nurses at the Love First Clinic (
The local health department later revoked the license of the clinic and fined the owner NT$150,000 for negligence.
Although the clinic's owner made a public apology, 13 families have filed lawsuits against the clinic.
After the two horrific errors, Premier Yu Shyi-kun asked the two local governments concerned to mete out the harshest punishments possible and requested the health department take the initiative to review medical regulations and make necessary revisions if the punishments stipulated in existing laws are too light.
Meanwhile, the Executive Yuan yesterday also approved the draft amendments of the National Health Insurance Law (
If approved by the legislature, it is estimated about 130,000 people would benefit from the change. The government, however, would lose an estimated NT$1.1 billion.
Another piece of draft legislation approved yesterday was the statute that governs the construction of urban sidewalks (
The amendments are designed to regulate the height of storefront sidewalks in order to protect the safety of pedestrians and establish a "barrier-free" living environment for handicapped people.
Those unauthorized to construct uneven storefront sidewalks would receive a warning to make improvements. They would face a fine of between NT$5,000 and NT$25,000 if they fail to comply within two months.
The amendments would also regulate other public constructions such as bridges, tunnels, gutters, parking lots and traffic islands or meridians.
The fine for illegal structures is NT$6,000. To make the fines a more effective deterrent, those engaging in the unauthorized construction of a thoroughfare would face a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000.
Local governments would also be empowered to tear down the sidewalks and other public constructions if the owner, user or keeper refuse to comply.
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
The Taipei City Government yesterday confirmed that it has negotiated a royalties of NT$12.2 billion (US$380 million) with artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia Corp, with the earliest possible signing date set for Wednesday next week. The city has been preparing for Nvidia to build its Taiwan headquarters in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park since last year, and the project has now entered its final stage before the contract is signed. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city government has completed the royalty price negotiations and would now push through the remaining procedures to sign the contract before
Taipei Zoo welcomes the Lunar New Year this year through its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse native to central Asia that was once fully extinct outside of captivity. The festival ushering in the Year of the Horse would draw attention to the zoo’s four specimens of Przewalski’s horse, named for a Russian geographer who first encountered them in the late 19th century across the steppes of western Mongolia. “Visitors will look at the horses and think that since this is the Year of the Horse: ‘I want to get to know horses,’” said zookeeper Chen Yun-chieh, who has been
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was agreed by both sides, after Lithuania’s prime minister described a 2021 decision to let Taiwan set up a de facto embassy in Vilnius as a “mistake.” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, who entered office in September last year, told the Baltic News Service on Tuesday that Lithuania had begun taking “small first steps” aimed at restoring ties with Beijing. The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. Since the establishment of the
RSS