President-elect William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said he has agreed to hold a national health forum every year on April 27 to review achievements and discuss improvements that could be made to the healthcare sector, while pledging to build a healthy Taiwan.
Lai was speaking in Taipei at the last session of a series of “Healthy Taiwan” forums, which were part of the “National Project of Hope” development blueprint he presented during his election campaign last year with the aim of collecting healthcare policy suggestions.
Premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), deputy premier-designate Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) and minister of health and welfare-designate Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) also attended the session.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Lai said that having been a physician, he dreams of working with healthcare professionals to build a healthy Taiwan when he becomes president.
He said that he has asked his mentor, former National Cheng Kung University Hospital superintendent Chen Jyh-hong (陳志鴻), to assist by being the “Healthy Taiwan” forum convener.
The series of forums had three main features: First, they were “unprecedented,” as they were the first healthcare forums in Taiwan that aimed to outline a national vision, Lai said.
Second, they had “the most expansive range of topics,” as they covered not only certain diseases, but also talent cultivation, smart medical services, holistic healthcare and sustaining national health insurance, among other topics, he said.
Third, they were “attended by the most people,” as more than 1,200 healthcare professionals participated, he said.
Lai thanked the healthcare professionals who had been willing to share their suggestions.
He jokingly said that he would comply with Taipei Veterans General Hospital superintendent Chen Wei-ming’s (陳威明) remarks about cutting back on sugar by drinking bubble milk tea with “less sugar” instead of “full sugar” from now on.
Questions and suggestions from healthcare professionals across the nation that had been recorded during previous meetings were presented at the concluding session yesterday to help the government improve its healthcare policy, Chen Jyh-hong said.
Lai said he was deeply moved and full of gratitude when he listened to each presentation yesterday, adding that he is even more confident in his vision of building a healthy Taiwan.
Additional reporting by CNA
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