Civic Groups Claim Average Calculation of Three-Shift Nurse-Patient Ratio Fails to Improve Nurses' Overwork

The Legislative Yuan has passed an amendment to the Medical Care Act, incorporating the three-shift nurse-patient ratio into law. However, the Taiwan Nurses Union and other civic groups criticized the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "average calculation" method across the whole hospital and month. They argue this flattens the numbers and allows hospitals to disguise severe understaffing. They demand a strict ratio system applicable at all times in any ward, without statistical manipulation.