Three-Shift Nurse-Patient Ratio Enacted into Law, Cheng Li-wen: KMT Will Be Nurses' Strongest Backer
Taiwan's Legislative Yuan has formally enacted the "three-shift nurse-patient ratio" into the Medical Act. Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wen praised this move as a crucial first step towards improving nurses' working conditions and overall healthcare quality, pledging the KMT's continued strong support for nursing professionals. The new system is slated for implementation on May 1, 2028.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 15:10
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 15:32 (21 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 12, 2026 at 16:19 (47 min after Collected)
Central News
(Central News Agency reporter Liu Kuan-ting, Taipei, 12th) The Legislative Yuan has passed the third reading of amendments to the Medical Act, formally enacting the three-shift nurse-patient ratio into law. Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wen stated today that this is just the first step, and only by allowing medical personnel to work without worries can the overall standard of medical care truly be improved. The KMT will be the strongest backer for nurses.
The Legislative Yuan passed the third reading of some articles of the Medical Act on the 8th, formally enacting the three-shift nurse-patient ratio into law. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang explained that nursing groups hoped for implementation by December 2027, but considering factors such as year-end and long Lunar New Year holidays, it is expected to be implemented on May 1, 2028, after discussion.
Cheng Li-wen attended the "2026 National Outstanding Nursing Personnel Commendation Ceremony" today and presented commendation certificates to outstanding nurses. Cheng Li-wen stated that thanks to the long-term efforts of KMT legislators such as Su Ching-chuan, the three-shift nurse-patient ratio was finally successfully enacted into law, but this is only the first step, and a more comprehensive system guarantee will be needed in the future.
Cheng Li-wen believes that when the Legislative Yuan promotes bills that benefit the country and the people, the Democratic Progressive Party often delays them for various reasons; nurses care for patients at the bedside and never ask "which party are you from," so why, when discussing medical care treatment in the legislature, should political calculations be involved? This is too unfair and disrespectful to nurses.
She stated that today should not be about nurses begging the high-and-mighty government or political parties, but rather about what the government and political parties should have done and should have done long ago; it is society that owes the great nurses, not nurses who have sacrificed and dedicated themselves still having to beg. Taiwanese society often says it knows how to be grateful, simple, and kind, but this value must truly be implemented in systems and daily life.
Cheng Li-wen said that in the future, whether the KMT is in opposition or in power, it will definitely prioritize the needs, dignity, and welfare of nurses. During the past epidemic, the KMT also fully fought for the rights and interests of medical personnel in the Legislative Yuan, because at that time the government's many subsidies and promises were empty promises, visible but unattainable, and when truly implemented, they were discounted. She participated in these processes throughout and gained a deeper understanding of the hard work of medical personnel.
Cheng Li-wen emphasized that only by allowing medical personnel to work without worries can the overall standard of medical care truly be improved, and only then will the younger generation be willing to join the nursing profession. The KMT will continue to work hard to be the strongest backer for nurses. (Edited by: Zhai Sijia, Wu Surou) 1150512
(Central News Agency reporter Liu Kuan-ting, Taipei, 12th) The Legislative Yuan has passed the third reading of amendments to the Medical Act, formally enacting the three-shift nurse-patient ratio into law. Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wen stated today that this is just the first step, and only by allowing medical personnel to work without worries can the overall standard of medical care truly be improved. The KMT will be the strongest backer for nurses.
The Legislative Yuan passed the third reading of some articles of the Medical Act on the 8th, formally enacting the three-shift nurse-patient ratio into law. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang explained that nursing groups hoped for implementation by December 2027, but considering factors such as year-end and long Lunar New Year holidays, it is expected to be implemented on May 1, 2028, after discussion.
Cheng Li-wen attended the "2026 National Outstanding Nursing Personnel Commendation Ceremony" today and presented commendation certificates to outstanding nurses. Cheng Li-wen stated that thanks to the long-term efforts of KMT legislators such as Su Ching-chuan, the three-shift nurse-patient ratio was finally successfully enacted into law, but this is only the first step, and a more comprehensive system guarantee will be needed in the future.
Cheng Li-wen believes that when the Legislative Yuan promotes bills that benefit the country and the people, the Democratic Progressive Party often delays them for various reasons; nurses care for patients at the bedside and never ask "which party are you from," so why, when discussing medical care treatment in the legislature, should political calculations be involved? This is too unfair and disrespectful to nurses.
She stated that today should not be about nurses begging the high-and-mighty government or political parties, but rather about what the government and political parties should have done and should have done long ago; it is society that owes the great nurses, not nurses who have sacrificed and dedicated themselves still having to beg. Taiwanese society often says it knows how to be grateful, simple, and kind, but this value must truly be implemented in systems and daily life.
Cheng Li-wen said that in the future, whether the KMT is in opposition or in power, it will definitely prioritize the needs, dignity, and welfare of nurses. During the past epidemic, the KMT also fully fought for the rights and interests of medical personnel in the Legislative Yuan, because at that time the government's many subsidies and promises were empty promises, visible but unattainable, and when truly implemented, they were discounted. She participated in these processes throughout and gained a deeper understanding of the hard work of medical personnel.
Cheng Li-wen emphasized that only by allowing medical personnel to work without worries can the overall standard of medical care truly be improved, and only then will the younger generation be willing to join the nursing profession. The KMT will continue to work hard to be the strongest backer for nurses. (Edited by: Zhai Sijia, Wu Surou) 1150512