In a bid to resolve the shortage of medical personnel in remote areas, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday approved a program to give state-sponsored physicians assigned to remote areas monthly subsidies of NT$70,000 to NT$100,000 (US$2,289 to US$3,270).
As part of a project to improve healthcare services in remote areas, a NT$1 billion subsidy program has been created to incentivize state-sponsored physicians assigned to remote areas to renew their contracts and to encourage retired physicians to return to work in remote areas, Ministry of Health and Welfare Department of Medical Affairs Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) told the weekly Cabinet meeting in Taipei.
The funding covers this year to 2023, Shih said.
State-sponsored physicians play a crucial role in healthcare in the outlying islands and mountainous areas, but after the program was suspended in 2009 there has been a shortfall in the number of physicians, he said.
Depending on the remoteness of the area and the physicians’ areas of expertise, bonuses could also be paid, pushing the subsidies up to between NT$120,000 and NT$180,000, he said.
Meanwhile, to boost the accessibility of medical services, the ministry has teamed up with medical centers nationwide to offer regular diagnosis and treatment services in remote communities using mobile medical stations, he said.
The ministry last year held about 2,000 specialist clinics each month, serving about 470,000 people, he said.
Thanks to the Rules of Medical Diagnosis and Treatment by Telecommunications (通訊診察治療辦法), which were promulgated last year, healthcare accessibility in remote areas has been improved with the help of digital medical records and Wi-Fi-enabled long-distance medical services, he said.
Despite the nation being an international leader in healthcare, the coverage rate in remote areas is eight physicians to 10,000 people,which is one-third the average in municipalities, Su told the Cabinet meeting.
It is unfair that residents of remote areas have been resigned to living with their illnesses out of concern over high commuting costs, jeopardizing their employment and causing many other inconveniences in their lives, he said.
Healthcare is the government’s unavoidable responsibility, he said, urging the ministry to push the project forward to safeguard the health of residents living in remote areas.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS