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.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
RSS