TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has announced that starting in November, all newborn babies will be enrolled in the nationwide "Project of Holistic Physicians for Young Children."
The MOHW is also encouraging parents with children under three years old to participate in this project free of charge.
As a family of three young children, Mr. and Mrs. Yang expressed their comfort in receiving individual health care. They felt reassured that physicians were on standby to offer medical advice and reminders whenever needed.
Since its initial launch in 2020, the project has witnessed satisfactory results. It has successfully treated 3,002 cases of prolonged jaundice in newborns and tracked 109,228 patients for fluoride treatment, identifying developmental delays in 172 cases.
The project has enrolled 37.6% of the nation's population, with many participants coming from vulnerable families and groups in need of special care, such as adolescent mothers and women of advanced maternal age (AMA). The number of participants has significantly increased from 3,627 in 2021 to 8,278 in 2022.
"This project allows us to identify children with developmental delays at an earlier stage," said MOHW Director Liu Yueh-Ping. Director Liu noted the project's motive to roll out integrated health and social care services systems. Doing so can help children in high-risk families who are potential domestic violence and child abuse victims.
To bolster engagement levels of hospitals at all levels, the MOHW is taking the initiative to increase nationwide accessibility. Parents can choose their preferred choice in all medical institutions registered for the project.