Medical Act Amendment Draft May Reduce Nurse Ratio, Nursing Groups Protest at Legislature: Patient Safety Cannot Retreat
As an amendment to the Medical Act is being deliberated in Taiwan, the possibility of reducing the proportion of nurses in the advisory committee from 1/2 to 1/3 has emerged, leading nursing organizations to protest outside the Legislative Yuan. They are advocating for 'rejecting 1/3' and 'patient safety cannot retreat,' strongly demanding the assurance of patient safety and nurses' labor rights.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 15:54
- 🔍 Collected: May 8, 2026 at 16:01 (7 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 8, 2026 at 22:43 (6h 42m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Shen Pei-yao, Taipei, 8th) While opposition parties are pushing for the third reading of the Medical Act amendment bill today, news has emerged that the proportion of nursing personnel in the advisory committee might be reduced from 1/2 to 1/3. Dissatisfied nursing groups immediately protested at the Legislative Yuan, shouting slogans like "Reject 1/3" and "Patient safety cannot retreat."
The Legislative Yuan was originally scheduled to handle the "Medical Act" amendment bill today, which concerns the "legalization of the three-shift nurse-patient ratio." Various political parties have proposed versions, including establishing an "advisory committee" by the central competent authority and its composition, while also requiring a review and dynamic adjustment of data every three years to protect medical staff and maintain patient safety.
However, the version after negotiation might change the proportion of nursing personnel in the Medical Act advisory committee from 1/2 to 1/3. As soon as the news broke, it quickly ignited anger in the nursing community. Representatives from the Nurses Association of the Republic of China and the Taiwan Nurses and Medical Industry Union went directly to the Legislative Yuan this afternoon to protest live.
Ma Shu-ching, Vice President of the Nurses Association of the Republic of China, criticized that employers, due to poor working environments, dare not provide reasonable nurse-patient ratios, fearing that nurses will leave. They are even threatening the public with "closing beds" and harming public rights, which is putting the cart before the horse. She vowed to protest on the streets again if the amendment passes.
Chen Yu-feng, consultant for the Taiwan Nurses and Medical Industry Union, even knelt down emotionally at one point, questioning the legislators pushing this bill, "Can you face your conscience?" She stated that the long-term loss of nursing staff in Taiwan is due to low salaries and high nurse-patient ratios. Nurses do not ask for much; the legalization of the three-shift nurse-patient ratio is urgent. Patient safety is human life safety, and safety cannot retreat, nor can nurses be sacrificed.
All nursing groups in Taiwan also jointly issued a statement, saying that any bill design should not undermine the essence of the system, nor should it allow hospitals to rationalize long-term low staffing with "exception clauses" when manpower is insufficient. They criticized the phrases "maintenance of public health" and "protection of the labor rights of nursing and midwifery personnel" in the KMT-TPP amendment as uncertain legal concepts, lacking clear objective standards, which might lead to repeated adjustments of nurse-patient ratio standards and difficulty in forming consistent regulations in the future. (Edited by Lung Po-an) 1150508
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(Central News Agency reporter Shen Pei-yao, Taipei, 8th) While opposition parties are pushing for the third reading of the Medical Act amendment bill today, news has emerged that the proportion of nursing personnel in the advisory committee might be reduced from 1/2 to 1/3. Dissatisfied nursing groups immediately protested at the Legislative Yuan, shouting slogans like "Reject 1/3" and "Patient safety cannot retreat."
The Legislative Yuan was originally scheduled to handle the "Medical Act" amendment bill today, which concerns the "legalization of the three-shift nurse-patient ratio." Various political parties have proposed versions, including establishing an "advisory committee" by the central competent authority and its composition, while also requiring a review and dynamic adjustment of data every three years to protect medical staff and maintain patient safety.
However, the version after negotiation might change the proportion of nursing personnel in the Medical Act advisory committee from 1/2 to 1/3. As soon as the news broke, it quickly ignited anger in the nursing community. Representatives from the Nurses Association of the Republic of China and the Taiwan Nurses and Medical Industry Union went directly to the Legislative Yuan this afternoon to protest live.
Ma Shu-ching, Vice President of the Nurses Association of the Republic of China, criticized that employers, due to poor working environments, dare not provide reasonable nurse-patient ratios, fearing that nurses will leave. They are even threatening the public with "closing beds" and harming public rights, which is putting the cart before the horse. She vowed to protest on the streets again if the amendment passes.
Chen Yu-feng, consultant for the Taiwan Nurses and Medical Industry Union, even knelt down emotionally at one point, questioning the legislators pushing this bill, "Can you face your conscience?" She stated that the long-term loss of nursing staff in Taiwan is due to low salaries and high nurse-patient ratios. Nurses do not ask for much; the legalization of the three-shift nurse-patient ratio is urgent. Patient safety is human life safety, and safety cannot retreat, nor can nurses be sacrificed.
All nursing groups in Taiwan also jointly issued a statement, saying that any bill design should not undermine the essence of the system, nor should it allow hospitals to rationalize long-term low staffing with "exception clauses" when manpower is insufficient. They criticized the phrases "maintenance of public health" and "protection of the labor rights of nursing and midwifery personnel" in the KMT-TPP amendment as uncertain legal concepts, lacking clear objective standards, which might lead to repeated adjustments of nurse-patient ratio standards and difficulty in forming consistent regulations in the future. (Edited by Lung Po-an) 1150508
Choose to stand with facts. Every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.