TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Health and Welfare held a meeting Monday to discuss the future of anesthesia practices in Taiwan.
This meeting came after suggestions were made to allow certain surgeons, including heart and transplant specialists, to administer anesthesia following specialized training. The proposal has faced backlash from the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists and surgical professionals, per CNA.
Representatives from the medical association, MOHW, and other relevant agencies met to deliberate on the issue. Liu Yue-ping (劉越萍), director of the MOHW’s Department of Medical Affairs, highlighted that there was strong consensus during the meeting on how to address concerns.
Liu stressed the agreement that a basic understanding of anesthesia is essential for all doctors. The main focus was on strengthening training programs and addressing regional imbalances by ensuring more resources are allocated to anesthesiology, Liu said.
Former Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists President Yu Huang-ping (余黃平) clarified that Taiwan's problem with anesthesiologists is not a shortage of personnel, but rather a failure to effectively utilize available resources. He expressed relief that lawmakers and the MOHW recognized that the issue lies in the uneven distribution of resources, not in a lack of anesthesiologists.
Yu further highlighted that from 2018 to 2023, the number of anesthesiologists in Taiwan grew by 17%. The volume of surgeries covered by health insurance increased by only 6.6%.
Yu also compared Taiwan to Japan, which has a population of 120 million. He noted that Japan has only 3.66 anesthesiologists per 100,000 people, while Taiwan has 6.88 anesthesiologists per 100,000.
A key topic at the meeting was the need for tighter controls on medical anesthetic practices, particularly concerning “milk injection” use. This term refers to propofol, named for its milky appearance caused by the soybean extract solvent used in the injection, according to commonhealth.
Propofol is primarily used for anesthesia and sedation, inducing a sleep-like state while suppressing respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure. It is also used in intensive care units to help manage sedation and sleep for critically ill patients.
Yu raised concerns about the potential risks of propofol misuse and stressed that its administration should remain the responsibility of anesthesiologists. Both the MOHW and legislators expressed support for tightening regulations to control the use of the drug.
