Newly appointed Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) on Monday said he would continue to push the government’s “Healthy Taiwan Cultivation Plan,” and prioritize medical, mental health and societal resilience.
Shih, the director-general of the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) before the Cabinet reshuffle, made the remarks at a handover ceremony in Taipei.
The ministry deals with a wide range of issues that covers people’s lives — from embryo to death — including medical affairs, social welfare, long-term care, health promotion and healthcare environment, so its policies are closely linked to people’s lives, Shih said.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
The ministry will continue to work to realize the government’s vision of a “Healthy Taiwan” and strengthen national resilience, including prioritizing disadvantaged people and promoting universal health coverage, he said.
The “Healthy Taiwan” plan was launched this year by former minister of health and welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) and the plan’s deputy convener, Chen Jyh-hong (陳志鴻), Shih said.
The plan, which runs through 2029, aims to help the medical system overcome its current limitations, enhance care for people of all ages and align with international health-related sustainable development goals — thereby steadily advancing the policy vision of a “Healthy Taiwan” and propelling the country to the forefront of medical development in the Asia-Pacific region, information on the Executive Yuan’s Web site says.
Shih added that he would proactively communicate and listen to voices from different fields, and work with the ministry’s staff to implement medical, mental health and societal resilience policies to create an environment in which people can feel safe from birth to old age.
With his promotion and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) having been appointed as deputy health minister, Shih said that NHIA Deputy Director-General Parng I-ming (龐一鳴) is to serve as the agency’s acting director-general, while CDC deputy director-general Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) is to serve as the center’s acting director-general until official successors are appointed.
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