The government is planning major reforms over 2013-2015 to recruit physicians in needed fields and improve working conditions for nurses, said Premier Sean Chen on July 25.
The reforms will include avoiding criminal proceedings against negligent doctors and providing medical scholarships in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and emergency medicine, he said.
Premier Chen has been meeting frequently with various government agencies to address acute staff shortages in the nation's health care system. At an Executive Yuan meeting on Wednesday, he received a second briefing on the work environment reforms from the Department of Health (DOH).
Regarding a new program to provide monetary compensation to victims of childbirth accidents sustained at hospitals, the premier said the DOH should apply experiences from this program to providing similar compensation for medical malpractice in general. Such measures will allow victims to take civil rather than criminal action in the event of medical negligence, reducing the likelihood of doctors facing criminal proceedings.
However, the premier said the DOH should come up with long-term solutions for resolving medical disputes, such as creating a victim relief fund or providing liability insurance for physicians.
The DOH also plans to reinstate the medical scholarship program recruiting 50 students per year. The students may choose in their fifth academic year to specialize in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics or emergency medicine. After completing training, they will be assigned to work for six years in local medical institutions where physicians are most needed. The DOH expects to dispatch 50 such graduates annually beginning 2014.
As for improving the work environment for nurses, the DOH proposed various reforms to be completed before the end of 2012:
(1) Reduce excessive evaluations and inspections of nursing staff.
(2) Assign non-professional tasks to aides.
(3) Reduce administrative work for nurses.
(4) Improve working conditions and resume normal working hours by 2014.
(5) Increase health insurance payments for nursing care.
(6) Set reasonable patient-to-nurse ratios for the three daily shifts.
(7) Encourage medical institutions to increase nurse salaries and benefits.
(8) Improve the pass rate of national certification exams and the employment rate of nursing school graduates.
(9) Lower the number of patients assigned to new nurses in training.
(10) Enhance the professional image of nursing personnel.