The practice rate of the nation’s medical technologists fell to just 42.32 percent last year, with hospitals facing an estimated personnel shortage of 10 to 20 percent, the Taiwan Association of Medical Technologists said.
Despite Taiwan becoming a super-aged society and rising demand for healthcare services, the practice rate continued to decline — from 45.9 percent in 2011 to 42.32 percent last year, association data showed.
Medical technologists perform clinical laboratory tests by analyzing blood, urine and tissue samples with specialized equipment to assist doctors in diagnosis.
Photo: Taipei Times
The Ministry of Health and Welfare granted medical technologist certificates to 24,000 people last year, but only 10,000 of them registered as practitioners, with many choosing jobs in the biotechnology industry or pursuing other careers, the association said.
If the shortage worsens, people could face longer waits for laboratory reports, it added.
Association president Lai Hsin-heng (賴信亨) said the shortfall is particularly acute in hospitals, with most clinical laboratories operating 10 to 20 percent below capacity.
Recruitment ads have remained unanswered for more than six months, he added.
Association secretary-general Lin Ching-yuan (林慶元) said the base salaries for medical technologists working at hospitals are low, with a ceiling of NT$700,000 (US$23,319) on the annual income for practitioners in the public system.
Medical technologists cannot earn more than NT$1 million a year without additional pay from night-shift subsidies — and even then, their income remains lower than those of peers in other medical departments, he said.
As a result, many medical technologists have left hospitals and sought jobs at independent clinical laboratories or biotech companies, which offer more competitive salaries, he added.
In addition to working three shifts, most medical technologists at hospitals have to shoulder heavier workloads, as hospital administrations have cut staffing following the automation of many laboratory procedures, Lin said.
This has discouraged young people from entering the profession, or led them to work in hospitals briefly before moving on, he said.
Given that qualification rates of the national examination for medical technologists remained low, the limited supply of new entrants could further exacerbate the personnel shortage, he said, adding that some recruiting hospitals could not get even a resume from jobseekers.
The examination is held twice a year. Over the past four years, the February session’s pass rate has stayed below 10 percent, dropping to just 5.84 percent last year, while the July session has hovered at about 30 percent over the past few years.
Ministry of Examination Deputy Minister Liu Yueh-lan (劉約蘭) said qualification rates vary depending on the number and backgrounds of applicants.
Among fresh graduates taking the July exam last year, 47.14 percent passed, and 53.33 percent of those who passed held a college degree, she said, adding that the performance was stable.
Regarding the shortage, the ministry said it has commissioned the National Health Research Institutes to assess the nation’s medical workforce — including medical technologists — with a report due next year.
The ministry has also implemented a program to promote friendly workplaces, encourage practitioners to return and cultivate medical talent, it said.
Digital and automated processes would continue to be introduced to ease workloads, improve retention rates and strengthen the resilience of the healthcare system, the ministry said.
However, Lai said that demand for medical technologists is likely to grow with the government’s planned launch of the Long-term Care 3.0 program, as point-of-care testing becomes more widespread.
Medical technologists would play an indispensable role in the long-term care system, he said, calling on hospitals to offer incentives to help reverse the shortage.
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