TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare, Hsueh Jui-yuan, announced on Tuesday (Dec. 19) significant increases in subsidies for dedicated pediatricians starting in 2024.
The initiative is part of the "2023 Plan to Optimize Pediatric Medical Care" results, highlighted at a year-end conference.
Starting in 2024, the subsidy for physicians caring for each young child will double from NT$500 to NT$1,000. This move aims to improve the quality of pediatric medical care and draw more young practitioners into the field.
The optimization plan, running from 2021 to 2024, boasts a total budget of NT$2.8 billion. The annual budget for 2024 alone is allocated NT$2 billion. Hsueh emphasized the implementation of the dedicated pediatrician system across the nation, underscoring the investment made in this critical healthcare sector.
Nationwide, 22 counties and municipalities have implemented a dedicated pediatrician system for children aged 0 to 3. Since November this year, the initiative has expanded to include newborns, with 1,882 dedicated pediatricians serving over 184,000 young children across 1,048 medical institutions, bringing the national coverage rate to 40.5%.