Re-elected Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
Hu, who looked quite healthy despite reports that he suffered a stroke on a trip to the US in August 2002, made the remarks when asked to comment on the penalties meted out to the 12 doctors by the Medical Doctor Disciplinary Committee under the Taichung City Government's health authorities on Wednesday.
One of the doctors -- Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Peter Lin (林進興), who played a leading role in disclosing what he claimed were Hu's medical records at a news conference in Taichung -- received the harshest punishment, with his licence to practice medicine suspended for one year.
Another was banned from practicing medicine for one month and ordered to attend 32 hours of classes on medical ethics. The others were given warnings and must attend mandatory classes on medical ethics totalling between eight and 24 hours.
Hu, of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), said he respects the rulings by the city government's health authorities, adding that he had not interfered in their decisions in any way.
Hu said that the outcome is not yet final, because health authorities at a higher level might still have a say on the issue. He said he will not rule out any possibility, and will wait for the final result before deciding whether it is necessary to sue the 12 doctors.
Meanwhile, the KMT legislative caucus urged Lin to withdraw from the legislature's Sanitation, Environment and Social Welfare Committee to avoid a conflict of interest.
Caucus whips noted that Lin has another case pending against him. In October the Bureau of National Health Insurance said that his hospital used forged records of overnight patients to get reimbursements from the bureau.
Asked to comment on the dispute over the ruling by Taichung's health authorities, a spokesman for the Department of Health (DOH) said Kaohsiung City's health authority will have to either enforce the ruling or hold a hearing of its own to let Lin defend himself.
The spokesman also said that Lin can appeal to the DOH's disciplinary committee within 20 days. If the DOH upholds the ruling, he will be banned from practicing medicine for one year.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS