TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said the government will revise policies to address nursing staff shortages.
Chiu met with representatives from Taiwan's medical unions on Wednesday. He said policy revisions will focus on issues including nurse cross-department support, attendance during typhoons, and increased pay, per CNA.
Some nurses and critical care physicians in Taiwan have reportedly left their positions due to heavy workloads and high-risk medical disputes. More than 700 nurses resigned between December and January.
The Taiwan Nursing and Medical Industries Union said that although the government has promised to increase night shift allowances and hospitals have announced salary hikes, the salary structure for nurses is still lacking. Some performance bonuses have been cut, and overtime pay remains inaccessible.
Taiwan Federation of Medical Unions Chair Chao Lin-yu (趙麟宇) said that irregular cross-department support for nurses is causing increased work pressure. Chiu pledged to integrate relevant guidelines and create a better working environment.
Chao said if the National Health Insurance Administration increases the wages of nurses, it must focus on practical implementation. He hopes the policy will guide hospitals to establish systems that make reimbursements more transparent.
The unions also proposed guidelines for healthcare workers' attendance during typhoons. Chao said the union and the health ministry are scheduled to hold another meeting in three months.
Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine Director Chang Chih-hua (張志華) said emergency room congestion has become severe this year, partly due to a nursing staff shortage that led to the closure of some wards.
Chang said a tiered healthcare system could resolve many issues, including tiered care for outpatient and inpatient visits. He suggested patients use primary care facilities for outpatient visits and that severe inpatient cases be transferred to higher-level hospitals and mild cases to lower-level facilities.
To address congestion, the administration has proposed measures, including higher payments for emergency and critical care, salary increases for emergency nurses, and support for hospitals in remote areas. It will allocate NT$4.2 billion (US$ 140 million) to fund these measures, with implementation expected as early as May.
