TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Society of Emergency Medicine said on Saturday that emergency rooms are severely congested leading to a potential large-scale resignation of ER doctors and nurses.
TSEM President Hsu Chien-chin (許建清) said the main cause of ER congestion is a shortage of hospital wards and nursing staff. This has led critically ill individuals to remain in the ER rather than transferring to intensive care units or other hospital wards, per UDN.
Hsu called for a review of ER admissions and inpatient hospital stays to tackle the problem. Hsu said less than 30% of ER patients at National Taiwan University Hospital are allocated beds in hospital wards.
In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare invited TSEM, various hospitals, and other medical associations for a meeting on Sunday. There was consensus that a government mechanism was needed to tackle the issue, diverting patients to other wards or less congested hospitals.
Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said many hospitals had too many cancer patients waiting for hospitalization and surgery, putting many hospitals in a dilemma as many such patients resided in the ER. Chiu said hospitals were reluctant to expand emergency rooms due to the added cost of medical staffing.
Chiu said medical associations could advocate primary care and diagnosis to be conducted at clinics rather than hospitals. Chiu suggested patients only visit regional hospitals after receiving clinic referrals.
Deputy Health Minister Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) said if hospitals were unable to coordinate the transfer of patients due to overcrowding, the health ministry would assist in liaising with other regional hospitals.
ER overcrowding was discussed at health ministry meetings on Feb. 8 and 13 according to Health Ministry Medical Affairs Director Liu Yueh-ping (劉越萍). Liu said hospitals had agreed to open more beds in hospice wards to admit general patients.
ER congestion is expected to last until March 15 due to the recent wave of disease according to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Health Insurance Administration. To accommodate increased demand, hospitals have been granted the flexibility to adjust beds to alleviate congestion.
