Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Peter Lin (林進興) said yesterday that the decision of Taichung City's health department to revoke his medical license was unreasonable.
During the last days of campaigning for the Dec. 3 elections, Lin, a practicing physician, and 11 other doctors released what they claimed were Taichung Mayor Jason Hu's (
The department's disciplinary committee decided on Wednesday to revoke Lin's license for one year, or oblige him to take eight to 24 hours of mandatory courses on medical ethics.
Lin said that Taichung's health department had no right to make the decision as his license was registered in Kaohsiung. Taichung's health department was acting only under Hu's orders, he said.
Lin said the punishment was decided according to articles 23 and 25 of the Doctor's Law (
Although the department could have made the decision based on article 29 of the law, which stipulates a fine of between NT$20,000 (US$625) and NT$100,000 for revealing patient records, politics had caused the department to revoke his license instead, Lin said.
In addition, Hu was not "his patient," Lin added.
"I did not reveal my own patient's records. Also, I was acting as a legislator and not a doctor at the time," Lin said. "It had nothing to do with my ethics as a doctor."
Lin said that in the US medical records of political candidates were open to public evaluation, and he was taking the opportunity to push for the same law in the country.
Lin added that he had not "handed out" or "brandished" the records, but only held them in his hand while the media filmed them.
DPP Legislator Hsu Kuo-yung (
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
ENHANCING DETERRENCE: Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and China’s coastal areas without any logistical difficulties Japan is to deploy extended-range anti-ship missiles at a Ground Self-Defense Force base in Kumamoto to bolster its defenses, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday. The upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of more than 1,000km, would be capable of striking targets in the Taiwan Strait and along China’s coast. Originally limited to a few hundred kilometers, the Type 12 was recently modernized ahead of schedule. Deployment, initially slated for next year, has been accelerated after the upgrade was completed sooner than expected, the newspaper said. Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu