People who are violent toward or threaten medical personnel could face a prison sentence under the Medical Care Act (醫療法), the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday.
The Department of Medical Affairs said it strongly condemns any attempt to threaten, intimidate, insult, humiliate or obstruct the duties of medical personnel.
Article 106 of the act states that the use of violence, threats or other illegal behavior to obstruct the duties of medical personnel or emergency medical technicians can be punished by up to three years in jail or a fine up to NT$300,000, the department said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
The warning came after the media reported on a woman in Taipei who became angry that she had been given back the wrong National Health Insurance (NHI) card when buying masks and allegedly scolded a pharmacist surnamed Wang (王), telling her to kneel and apologize.
The reports sparked a public outcry.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) on Saturday said that such coercive behavior toward a pharmacist should be dealt with severely.
Taipei Police Nangang Precinct Deputy Chief Hu Yu-ling (胡幼麟) yesterday said after receiving a report about the incident on Saturday, the precinct had talked to the parties involved and prosecutors have charged the buyer with alleged coercion and contravention of the Medical Care Act.
A precinct news release quoted the buyer, a woman in her 60s surnamed Lee (李), as saying that she was angry when she realized Wang had accidentally given her back the wrong NHI card, so she returned to the pharmacy to criticize its flawed mask-selling method.
“At this time … all medical personnel are working very hard, so the police department urges everyone to face conflicts rationally,” Hu said. “If medical personnel face irrational behavior from the public, they should notify the police and we will arrive immediately to deal with the situation.”
At a news conference held by the Taiwan Pharmacist Association yesterday, Wang said she has asked the association to handle any issues relating to the incident.
She did not respond when reporters asked about Lee’s claim that she had not asked Wang to kneel, but association president Huang Chin-shun (黃金舜) said it was up to the judiciary to handle the matter now that prosecutors are investigating.
Additional reporting by CNA
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