Taiwan’s Plans to Boost Health Care Sector

A plan has been announced by Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) that will boost the country’s medical sector and health care. Six Taiwanese hospitals will each form a medical team in order improve the Taiwan healthcare sector in six Asian countries. Local medical staff will be trained and overseas Taiwanese businessmen will be given health consultations, according to Hsu Ming-hui, MOHW Office of International Cooperation official. The purpose of this program is to create a partnership between Taiwanese health care institutions and the region of Southeast Asia. Taiwan will engage in market research and study the laws and regulations of health-related sectors in the Southeast Asian countries namely Philippines, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.

Taiwan’s Health Minister, Chen Shih-chung said that the country is hoping to compile and collect data through the medical teams on the medical needs of the countries included in this partnership.

One agenda is to the increase the spending of foreigners who seek health care services in Taiwan to an estimated NT$30 billion (US$1.005 billion) a year. Chinese-language media CNews reports that this will help expand the growth of Taiwanese medical device exports to 20 per cent a year.