Center for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Su Ih-jen (
Department of Health (DOH) Director-General Chen Chien-jen (
"It's a very burdensome job," Su said. "With the pressure to push through the amendments to the Center for Disease Control Organic Law (
Su became teary eyed during the press conference to announce his resignation and broke up when saying he was proud to have played a role during a national health crisis.
early departure
Having taken up the position in May with the specific task of controlling the SARS epidemic, Su said he had originally planned to leave after completing one year with the CDC.
"I thought I could at least hold my position until March 20 and leave after the presidential election," Su said.
But Su cited a possible heart condition as his reason for wanting to resign.
He also said that if the Center for Disease Control Organic Law passed in the Legislative Yuan, it would be better for his successor to have a hand in the process of reorganizing the CDC.
"The position of CDC director-general requires professional expertise and is not about politics," Su said.
Su wants Jan. 18 to be his last day at work. He will take a few days off to have his heart condition diagnosed.
Chen said he had not yet considered other candidates for Su's position and wanted to see Su's health reports before making a decision.
`number one choice'
"We are like brothers, so if he really is sick, then I won' t force him to stay on, but at this point he is still the DOH's number one choice for the position," Chen said.
Su stressed the importance of the amendments to the organic law, slated to be voted on in the legislature today.
The CDC's revisions of the law include the establishment of an Infection Prevention Medical Care Network that would designate specific hospitals in each city and county with the task of treating patients with infectious diseases.
Su also said the law would allow more doctors and doctorate-level researchers to work at the CDC, bypassing current regulations requiring that select CDC employees take civil service exams.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS