The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Thursday defended its medical tourism program after the owner of a dental clinic was questioned on suspicion of helping 600 Chinese nationals enter Taiwan illegally.
Kuo Wei-chung (郭威中), an official at the ministry’s Department of Medical Affairs, said that irregularities have only been found at three institutions, including the dental clinic, among the 129 that have applied for medical tourism visas and entry permits.
Kuo added that only 28 disease categories — such as end-stage kidney disease and lymphatic system disorders — qualify for medical tourism applications.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
The ministry and the National Immigration Agency subsequently revised the program’s criteria so that only those with acute and severe issues could visit Taiwan for dental treatment, Kuo said.
The program, introduced in 2007, is designed to attract international tourists to receive healthcare services in Taiwan.
On Wednesday, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office summoned 10 people for questioning in connection with the alleged illegal entry of Chinese nationals into Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of those questioned, a Taipei dental clinic owner surnamed Pan (潘), is accused of submitting falsified treatment plans to help 600 Chinese nationals register as medical visitors between December 2022 and May 2023.
Prosecutors said that many of the Chinese nationals subsequently engaged in illegal tourism and sex work in Taiwan.
The ministry said it had barred Pan’s clinic from participating in its medical tourism program on May 17, 2023, a suspension that remains in place.
Asked why it had taken nearly two years since authorities placed administrative penalties on Pan’s clinic for suspects to be brought in for questioning, prosecutors said they had only recently collected enough evidence.
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