Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) yesterday announced the promotion of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) to deputy minister of health and welfare, while Chou’s deputy, Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), is to become the new CDC head.
Chou is to take over the post vacated by Shih Chung-liang (石崇良), who last week was tapped to head the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA), Hsueh said.
Chou, who had headed the CDC since September 2016, had for the past more than three years put in a lot of efforts as the leader of the CDC, as well as head of the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) disease surveillance division, to deal with COVID-19 response and control, the minister said.
Photo: CNA
Hsueh added that he earlier yesterday received the order for the promotions, which were approved by the Executive Yuan.
“Both of them have specialized expertise, not only in COVID-19 response, but also in the prevention and control of many communicable diseases, and have performed well given their long-term experience in the field,” Hsueh said, adding that he expects a seamless transition into their new jobs.
As the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight, the CECC will gradually be wrapping up its operations, so there will be no changes in official titles and duties, Hsueh said.
That means Chou will continue to head the CECC’s disease surveillance division, while Chuang will remain as the head of the communicable disease prevention division and Shih the head of the medical response division.
However, there will be an adjustment to the CECC spokesperson position, with CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, likely taking over the position from Chuang, Hsueh said.
Asked about the shortage of some medicines, such as antacid magnesium oxide and amoxicillin antibiotic products, Hsueh said the ministry had held a meeting with pharmaceutical companies and asked them to boost production, as well as adjust product distribution to better meet the needs of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies.
The ministry is looking at medium-term solutions, such as expanding the Food and Drug Administration’s drug shortage reporting platform to facilitate detection of shortages, he said.
A longer-term solution is revising the National Health Insurance system’s drug procurement policies to avoid a supply and demand imbalance, Hsueh said.
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