More than 1,000 nurses yesterday protested outside the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taipei, handing in a petition demanding that a proposed nurse-to-patient ratio system be codified into law after two years of promises.
The system would set minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for day, evening and night shifts at medical centers and hospitals, which would prevent nurses from being overworked, guarantee adequate staffing levels and protect patient safety, they said.
Department of Nursing and Healthcare Director-General Tsai Shu-feng (蔡淑鳳) accepted the petition and promised that the ministry would meet on Friday to discuss the legislative timeline and related measures.
Photo: CNA
Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) later held a closed-door meeting with representatives from the groups, during which he said that a draft amendment would be released as early as Tuesday next week, on International Nurses Day.
When he took office, President William Lai (賴清德) promised that a three-shift nurse-to-patient ratio system would be codified into law during his first two years.
In July 2024, the Executive Yuan approved a 12-point plan to address nursing shortages that included retention and night-shift incentives, an overhaul of the work environment and the implementation of standard three-shift nurse-to-patient ratios per shift.
The measures were expected to be codified into law within two years and would require four years to be fully implemented.
Nursing groups yesterday stood outside the ministry holding signs and chanting protest slogans, accusing the government of changing its proposals and standards.
The ministry has allocated NT$6 billion (US$189.84 million) annually to the program since 2024, showing that the government has adequate funding to move the proposal forward, Taiwan Union of Nurses Association president Chen Li-chin (陳麗琴) said.
The delay shows a disregard for patient safety and quality of care, she said.
While the nursing community can understand the need for a “buffer period,” it cannot accept policy stagnation, Chen said.
Only by legislating the standard promptly and incorporating penalties can it truly protect nurses and patients, she added.
The nursing groups proposed three demands.
First, the government should immediately revise the Establishment Standards for Medical Institutions (醫療機構設置標準) and implement the new ratio system by May 20, they said.
Second, the ministry should draft an amendment to be submitted to the Cabinet, revising Article 12 of the Medical Care Act (醫療法) to codify the three-shift nurse-to-patient ratio into law, they said.
Last, the government should amend Article 102 of the act to introduce reasonable penalties and establish an enforcement mechanism to act as a deterrent, they added.
According to a report last year by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Taiwan has 7.29 hospital beds per 1,000 people, far above the OECD average of 4.3 and up to 2.5 times the level in Europe and the US, the groups said.
Taiwan does not lack beds, but struggles to retain nursing staff, they said.
Once the ministry finalizes the details, the legislation would enter a 60-day public notice period before official promulgation, although the ministry would try to expedite the process for formal publication by the end of July, Shih said.
Hospitals would then have a two-year buffer period before enforcement, he added.
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