President: Government Bears Sole Responsibility for Veterans' Care, Committed to Better Services

(Central News Agency reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei, 16th) The Veterans Affairs Council (VAC) today held the launch ceremony for the 'Year One of Digital Transformation in Veteran Care.' President Lai Qingde stated that veterans have devoted their lives to military service and safeguarded both the Republic of China and Taiwan, and that the government bears an inescapable responsibility to care for them. He emphasized that the government will comprehensively upgrade veteran services through digitalization to provide more comprehensive support.

The Veterans Affairs Council held the launch ceremony this morning for the 'Year One of Digital Transformation in Veteran Care.' President Lai Qingde, VAC Minister Yen Teh-fa, and others officially launched the 'Anxin Elderly Care Platform.' This platform integrates the veteran medical system, veteran service centers, honor homes, local government, and community resources, establishing a cross-domain collaboration and smart early-warning mechanism, ushering in a new era of digital transformation in veteran care.

President Lai recalled that two years ago, he awarded the VAC team the Presidential Hackathon Outstanding Team Award at the Presidential Office, and told Minister Yen at the time: 'Such a successful platform should not just be used for demonstrations, but must be implemented to genuinely care for veterans.' He expressed delight that within just two years, the platform has not only been completed but also significantly expanded in functionality, marking a groundbreaking service.

President Lai stated that the government's services for veterans are undergoing comprehensive digital upgrades, enabling more timely, comprehensive, and needs-based support in the future.

President Lai emphasized that veterans have dedicated their lives to national defense, participating in critical battles such as the Battle of Guningtou and the August 23 Artillery War, defending both the Republic of China and Taiwan. As veterans age and retire, caring for them is the government's solemn duty. Speaking as Commander-in-Chief, he expressed heartfelt gratitude to all veterans who have contributed to the nation and pledged that the government will stand with them and provide better services.

Minister Yen Teh-fa stated in his speech that Taiwan has officially entered a super-aging society, with approximately 47% of veterans now classified as elderly. The VAC has long established a comprehensive care system through veterans' hospitals, homes, and service centers. However, most veterans still live within communities. Faced with aging and declining birthrate trends, extending veterans' healthy life expectancy and enabling them to age in place are critical missions the VAC must fulfill.

Yen explained that the 'Anxin Elderly Care Platform' has been established, incorporating the service center visitation system and adding new functions such as health consultations by medical teams and cross-domain collaboration. This creates a smart care network that combines technology with compassion, integrating resources from medical providers, service agencies, individual cases, and families. It transforms community-based veteran care from reactive responses to proactive alerts and preventive measures. (Edited by Charlene Cha) 1150716