President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called on participants at a health conference to support Taiwan’s bid to join the WHO as an observer so the nation could contribute more to global healthcare.
Lai was speaking at the International Conference on Emergency Medicine (ICEM) in Taipei, where participants focused on the personnel shortage facing emergency rooms globally.
He thanked ICEM chairman Huang Chi-jen (黃集仁) and Taiwan Society of Emergency Medicine president Hsu Chien-ching (許建清) for their efforts in bringing the ICEM meeting to Taiwan this year, showcasing the nation’s development and contributions to emergency medicine.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Titled “Glocalization of Emergency Medicine: Global Wisdom and Local Solutions,” the forum seeks to minimize the global developmental gap in emergency medicine through policies targeting clinical practice, public health and the adoption of smart machinery.
Huang told the forum that the conference’s goal was to determine how emergency medicine could locally resolve global pandemics using “smart” technology.
Taiwan made great strides in emergency medicine development during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating communal screening stations and establishing online platforms for remote diagnosis, he said.
Commenting on a Facebook post by Far Eastern Hospital physician Chu Sheng-en (朱聖恩) regarding the shortage of medical staff, Huang said the workforce for emergency medicine has always been in flux, and the nation’s low birthrate has further exacerbated the issue.
If the public and the Ministry of Health and Welfare wish to foster a better working environment in the medical profession, higher wages and bonuses for emergency duty must be increased to incentivize younger people to take the job, Huang said.
The shortage in emergency medicine is a global issue, with many workers opting to “take a break” after a grueling three years during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
However, this situation is temporary and should ease up as time passes, he added.
In the interim, hospitals have adopted more shifts with fewer hours, hoping to increase the number of personnel available per shift, he said.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said that emergency medicine is the medical system’s core and most critical part.
The ministry is aware of the issues and has been working to find possible solutions to improve the work environment for emergency medicine workers, Chiu said.
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