Taichung Veterans General Hospital Partners with Miaoli Hospital to Support 7 Specialties and Advance Smart Healthcare

(By Central News Agency reporter Kuan Jui-ping, Miaoli County, June 15) The Ministry of Health and Welfare's Miaoli Hospital and Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) inaugurated their medical collaboration today. TVGH will now support seven specialized departments at Miaoli Hospital and advance smart and telemedicine services. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chou-liang expressed hope that Miaoli Hospital will soon achieve its goal of becoming a Level II emergency care facility.

To strengthen healthcare capacity in Miaoli, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Miaoli Hospital and Taichung Veterans General Hospital held a joint unveiling ceremony today. The event was attended by Minister Shih Chou-liang, Miaoli County Magistrate Chung Tung-pin, KMT legislators Chiu Chen-chun and Chen Chao-ming, TVGH Superintendent Fu Yun-ching, and Miaoli Hospital Superintendent Hsu Kuo-hsiang, who jointly witnessed the launch.

Hsu Kuo-hsiang stated that Miaoli Hospital and TVGH signed a 'Letter of Intent for Medical, Educational, and Research Collaboration' at the end of last year, establishing a solid foundation for cooperation. With rising aging and chronic disease care needs in Miaoli, the collaboration will now expand to support seven outpatient specialties and provide periodic ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) services, enhancing capabilities in specialized diagnosis, examinations, inpatient consultations, and follow-up care.

Fu Yun-ching noted that TVGH has previously supported underserved areas in Miaoli, including neurosurgery, cardiology, and orthopedics (sports medicine). The collaboration will now add hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal medicine, endocrinology and metabolism, nephrology, and rheumatology/immunology. Using a 'doctors move, patients stay' model, TVGH aims to bring medical-center-level care directly to Miaoli, reducing the burden of cross-county travel for patients and their families.

Additionally, TVGH will continue to promote smart healthcare, 5G-enabled telemedicine, remote consultations, remote image interpretation, and cross-hospital information integration. These innovative models aim to narrow the urban-rural healthcare gap. Through specialist support, two-way referrals, talent training, joint teaching and research, and sharing of quality management expertise, the partnership will elevate the overall healthcare capacity in Miaoli.

Minister Shih emphasized that the Ministry-operated Miaoli Hospital not only serves local medical needs but also plays a frontline role in public health, disaster response, and epidemic prevention. With TVGH's resource support, the hospital's specialty coverage will be more comprehensive, advancing its goal of becoming a Level II emergency care hospital. He also announced plans to improve salaries and benefits for public hospital staff, fostering pride in public service.

Magistrate Chung expressed gratitude for the joint efforts by central and local governments to strengthen Miaoli's healthcare resources. He noted that the county is actively advancing strategies in healthcare, long-term care, and industrial development. The 20-hectare site of the former Far Eastern Medical Park in Houlong Township, long idle after plans were abandoned, is now being considered for redevelopment into a biotechnology park. Future tenants may include nursing homes, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and possibly a mid-sized hospital, broadening the site's utility. (Edited by Li Shu-hua) 1150615