The head of the Veterans Affairs Council yesterday voiced confidence in its ability to run Taipei Veterans General Hospital and its branches, one of the nation’s largest medical systems, amid calls to transfer the hospitals to other government agencies.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) said the council did not have the capability to lead a medical facility and has failed to properly supervise Taipei Veterans General Hospital, thereby allowing a contractor to make illegal profits by using the hospital’s facilities.
In the case Tuan was referring to the hospital and the council received corrections from the Control Yuan.
Tuan said he would propose a bill to merge Taipei Veterans General Hospital with National Yang-Ming University under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, or put its medical centers in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung under the Ministry of Health and Welfare or other agencies.
Veterans Affairs Council Minister Lee Hsiang-jow (李翔宙) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee that he could not accept Tuan’s accusations or his reorganization proposals.
“By Tuan’s logic, the Tri-Service General Hospitals and armed forces general hospitals, run by the Ministry of National Defense, should be transferred to the health ministry,” Lee said.
“Such organizational changes would involve national development policies on a large scale. Reorganization should be deliberated over and complete planning is needed,” Lee said.
The council has offered senior health services to nursing homes run by the council, and while the council used to provide low-priced medical services only to veterans who had served for more than 10 years, such discounts are now available to all voluntary service personnel, regardless of length of service or rank, creating a medical safety net for military personnel, Lee said.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) questioned the minister about a council plan for the Taipei hospital to establish team to provide 24-hour medical service to veterans protesting the government’s pension reform plans outside the Legislative Yuan, which is a block from the National Taiwan University Hospital.
Lee said the plan was only on paper and has not been carried out.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS