At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun received a report on the Ministry of Health and Welfare's (MOHW) planned organizational restructuring. The vice premier said the MOHW is reorganizing in response to structural changes in society and the evolving care and development needs of children, youth, seniors, people with disabilities and women. The ministry will establish two new subordinate bodies—a child and family support administration and a long-term care and social development administration—to advance the vision of a healthier Taiwan and ensure that the public's care and development needs are met.
Vice Premier Cheng said the child and family support administration will integrate child and youth protection, child care, family support and related health policies to foster a more secure developmental environment for the next generation. As for the long-term care and social development administration, it will oversee welfare policies for long-term care, seniors, people with disabilities and women, as well as services related to the National Pension Program and other social development issues. Overall, the restructuring aims to promote a more forward-looking and inclusive approach to social welfare policy.
Vice Premier Cheng noted that the restructuring also includes the establishment of two non-departmental public bodies: the National Institute of Health Technology Assessment and a national research institute of Chinese medicine. In addition, it will strengthen the MOHW's legal framework, international cooperation and management structure for affiliated institutions, providing the ministry with the organizational resilience required to meet the challenges of the coming decade.