TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Health and Welfare Minister Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) visited the Philippines on Saturday to expand a healthcare program to cover Taiwanese businesspeople in the Southeast Asian country.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare launched the program in Vietnam in July 2024 before expanding it to Malaysia, per CNA. Taiwanese working in the Philippines and Brunei are the latest to be included in healthcare under the National Health Insurance system, with plans for Japan next.
The aim is to provide long-distance medical assistance to Taiwanese working overseas. In addition to the ministry, the Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital in Changhua started contributing to the program this year, with other hospital groups to follow suit.
The online system obviates the need for the patient to travel between the Philippines and Taiwan frequently for consultations or to pick up drugs. Physicians can provide patients with more direct and convenient assistance through the platform, hospital officials said. An estimated 20,000 Taiwanese residents in the Philippines are expected to benefit from the healthcare project.
