Ministry of Health and Welfare Plans to Establish Medical Personnel Task Force, Prioritizing Legislation of Three-Shift Nurse-Patient Ratio

Taipei, April 28 (CNA) — The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) Minister Shih Chung-liang said today that a medical personnel optimization research and promotion team will be established soon. Its primary task will be to legislate the three-shift nurse-patient ratio, reviewing related supporting measures, and ultimately hoping to optimize the environment for various medical personnel. Chen Wei-ming, superintendent of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, complained yesterday on behalf of public sector nurses, questioning the government's promotion of the "Deep Cultivation Program for a Healthy Taiwan." However, public sector nurses are restricted by regulations and cannot receive any incentive bonuses, which is tantamount to a "punishment." In addition, public sector nurses can apply for retirement at age 55, leading to a serious loss of talent. Shih Chung-liang stated today before attending the MOHW's "13th Outstanding and Senior Exemplary Nursing Personnel Award Ceremony" that the nursing staff in MOHW hospitals has continuously increased in recent years, with the proportion of public sector nurses exceeding 25%, showing no signs of outflow. Shih acknowledged that hospitals like National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital are affiliated with the Ministry of Education and the Veterans Affairs Council, respectively, and budget allocation for incentives is restricted by the regulations of their respective supervisory agencies, which may create bottlenecks. The MOHW will specifically understand relevant systems and assist in cross-ministerial coordination to ensure greater flexibility in retaining personnel and budget expenditure. Regarding the highly anticipated legislation of the three-shift nurse-patient ratio, Shih Chung-liang explicitly expressed his support. He stated that although the three-shift nurse-patient ratio is already being promoted, whether to legislate it still requires careful consideration. This is because, from international experience, mandatory legislation can improve nursing conditions and medical quality, but it may also exacerbate emergency room congestion or prolong waiting times for beds, affecting people's right to medical care. Shih revealed that the "Medical Personnel Optimization Research and Promotion Team" will be established soon. In addition to nurses, it will also include issues concerning various other medical personnel such as pharmacists, medical radiation technologists, medical laboratory technologists, and physical therapists. The team's primary mission is to research the timeline for legislating the three-shift nurse-patient ratio and to review related supporting measures, including suggestions like "postponing the retirement age" proposed by the superintendent of Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Shih emphasized that since last year, the government has been promoting the "12-point Strategy Plan for Nursing Workforce Policy Preparation" through national health insurance budget injection and the "Deep Cultivation Program for a Healthy Taiwan" to promote smart care and a mentorship system. Currently, nursing personnel are returning, and the optimization team will further improve the development of the medical system in the future. (Editor: Lee Hsi-chang) 1150428. Choose to stand with facts. Every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom. Download CNA's "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly. The text, images, and audio/video of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.