Phased Implementation of 3-Shift Nurse-to-Patient Ratios; MOHW Aims for Announcement by End of May
The three-shift nurse-to-patient ratio has been officially legislated in Taiwan. President Lai Ching-te announced its implementation would be moved up to May 20, 2027, and rolled out in phases. Consequently, the draft amendment, originally scheduled for announcement today, has been postponed. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) stated it needs to discuss implementation details and is striving to make the announcement by the end of May.
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- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 17:38
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(CNA, Taipei, May 20, by reporter Shen Pei-yao) The three-shift nurse-to-patient ratio has been officially passed into law, and President Lai Ching-te recently announced an adjusted phased implementation starting May 20, 2027. The draft amendment was originally scheduled to be announced today, but the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) stated that due to the shift to a phased implementation, details need to be discussed, and it is striving to make the announcement by the end of May.
The amendment to the Medical Care Act passed its third reading on May 8, officially legislating the three-shift nurse-to-patient ratio. That afternoon, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang said in a media interview that the draft amendment to the "Standards for Establishing Medical Institutions" was expected to be announced on May 20, with implementation on May 1, 2028.
However, facing public criticism that President Lai Ching-te's campaign promise of "within 2 years of taking office" was being broken, President Lai promptly announced at a Nurses' Day event on May 12 that the policy would be rolled out in phases starting May 20 of next year. Subsequently, Shih Chung-liang added that the phasing would be based on urban-rural divides and hospital levels, with medical centers taking the lead.
Regarding the MOHW's delay in announcing the draft amendment, Liu Yu-ching, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Medical Affairs, explained in a media phone interview this afternoon that the delay was mainly due to the change in plans. Following President Lai's public directive for an earlier, phased implementation, the MOHW needs to collect data and hold discussions on how to phase the rollout across different levels of medical facilities to create a more comprehensive version.
Liu Yu-ching emphasized that the MOHW will proceed under the principles directed by President Lai and will work hard to complete the announcement process by the end of May. While the standard announcement period is 60 days, the MOHW will consider all factors to set an appropriate timeframe, noting that "the announcement period could be shorter."
"This matter is of great concern to everyone, and the President is also paying close attention," Liu said, adding that there has been a flood of opinions from all sectors on how to specify the details and define the targets for each phase. Although the plan is for medical centers to go first, there are over 400 hospitals nationwide, not just medical centers, and others also need to be discussed. A comprehensive approach is needed to make the overall operation more thorough. (Editor: Lin Shu-hui) 1150520
The amendment to the Medical Care Act passed its third reading on May 8, officially legislating the three-shift nurse-to-patient ratio. That afternoon, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang said in a media interview that the draft amendment to the "Standards for Establishing Medical Institutions" was expected to be announced on May 20, with implementation on May 1, 2028.
However, facing public criticism that President Lai Ching-te's campaign promise of "within 2 years of taking office" was being broken, President Lai promptly announced at a Nurses' Day event on May 12 that the policy would be rolled out in phases starting May 20 of next year. Subsequently, Shih Chung-liang added that the phasing would be based on urban-rural divides and hospital levels, with medical centers taking the lead.
Regarding the MOHW's delay in announcing the draft amendment, Liu Yu-ching, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Medical Affairs, explained in a media phone interview this afternoon that the delay was mainly due to the change in plans. Following President Lai's public directive for an earlier, phased implementation, the MOHW needs to collect data and hold discussions on how to phase the rollout across different levels of medical facilities to create a more comprehensive version.
Liu Yu-ching emphasized that the MOHW will proceed under the principles directed by President Lai and will work hard to complete the announcement process by the end of May. While the standard announcement period is 60 days, the MOHW will consider all factors to set an appropriate timeframe, noting that "the announcement period could be shorter."
"This matter is of great concern to everyone, and the President is also paying close attention," Liu said, adding that there has been a flood of opinions from all sectors on how to specify the details and define the targets for each phase. Although the plan is for medical centers to go first, there are over 400 hospitals nationwide, not just medical centers, and others also need to be discussed. A comprehensive approach is needed to make the overall operation more thorough. (Editor: Lin Shu-hui) 1150520