Six medical associations yesterday called on the public to treat online complaints about doctors with caution, saying that some false claims have been used to extort medical practitioners.
Plastic surgeons are at particular risk, as patients’ expectations often conflict with the results, Taiwan Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery director Liu Chih-ho (劉致和) said.
Dissatisfied patients sometimes post negative reviews online, which are not necessarily true, he added.
Liu said that his group is seeking legal action in two cases from the past few weeks in which doctors were extorted to remove bad reviews.
In the cases, supposed patients accused the doctors of botching a surgery, using photographs they found online as “evidence,” he said.
The doctors were then contacted by a third party, who asked for payment in exchange for deleting the bad reviews, he added.
The groups said that extortionists regularly post false claims on online forums dedicated to medical complaints and demand NT$100,000 or more to delete them.
To raise awareness of the issue, the society released a public statement along with the Taiwan Society of Plastic Surgery, Taiwanese Society for Dermatological and Aesthetic Surgery, Taiwan Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Taiwan Society of Ocular Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Taiwan Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
The groups called on the public to refrain from making a judgement before an online post is vetted for accuracy.
Users “must remain objective and impartial” to avoid being used as a tool by bad actors who fabricate false claims to manipulate public opinion and extort medical professionals, the statement said.
Those with valid complaints should use legal channels to seek recourse, not take to the Internet to “share one-sided opinions, hurl abuse and bully” medical practitioners, it added.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
RSS