Taiwan must strive to win more international support for its bid to participate in the World Health Administration (WHA) amid growing pressure from China, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday.
Taiwan was again this year not invited to attend the annual meeting of the decisionmaking body of the WHO, which is to be held on Saturday. Taiwan last participated in the WHA as an observer in 2017.
“We will have a delegation in Geneva to explain Taiwan’s position face-to-face with representatives of participating countries, by organizing peripheral events and bilateral talks,” Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) told a news conference in Taipei, shortly before the delegation, led by Chiu, departed for Switzerland.
Photo: Lin Chi-yi, Taipei Times
Taiwan has the support of many countries due to its excellent performance in medicine and on environmental issues, which exceed the expectations laid out by the UN, he said, adding that several countries had already sent letters to the WHO urging it to allow Taiwan to participate as an observer.
However, the nation faces a growing challenge in obtaining observer status at the annual meetings due to China’s increasing efforts to isolate Taiwan in the international community, he said.
“This is why Taiwanese must unite in our efforts to show the world our strengths in medicine, and the quality of our healthcare system,” he said.
The delegation also includes deputy ministers of health and welfare Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀), Lue Jen-der (呂建德) and Chou Jih-haw (周志浩).
Chiu said it was his fifth visit to Geneva to fight for Taiwan’s participation at the WHA.
“China is using soft and hard tactics to marginalize Taiwan, and its efforts are increasing,” he said. “However, we have the Taiwan Medical Association and other organizations that remain connected with groups worldwide so that Taiwan can stay abreast of important global health issues.”
Separately, Lin said that the government would “strive not to increase the public’s burden,” when asked whether the National Health Insurance’s (NHI) supplementary premium rates would rise to 3 percent.
If adjustments are needed, the rates for those in higher income brackets would increase first, she said.
The NHI rate is 5.17 percent, and payments are divided into general premiums and supplementary premiums, with the general premium calculated based on salary. The supplementary premium is based on other income, including bonuses, part-time wages, executive business income, interest income and dividends.
“As there is a significant discrepancy between the two rates, the National Health Insurance Administration is considering adjusting the supplementary rates to ensure fairness,” NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said on Wednesday last week.
Lin said an adjustment might be needed to tackle overburdened medical resources and increased demand, particularly as the population ages.
Meanwhile, Chiu said that part of reforms to the healthcare system should include improved hospice and palliative care.
He also encouraged families to sign do not resuscitate forms for the terminally ill.
Keeping a terminally ill patient in intensive care costs up to NT$500,000 per week, he said.
Chiu also encouraged more widespread cancer screening, adding that he “does not want patients to be unable to use new drugs for cancer treatment due to financial limitations.”
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