TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's emergency departments are grappling with unprecedented congestion, prompting Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) to urge hospitals to increase the proportion of beds allocated to emergency admissions on Sunday (Feb. 23). Chiu emphasized that the National Health Insurance Administration (健保署) should explore measures to stabilize staffing levels in emergency care.
The Taiwan Society of Emergency Medicine (台灣急診醫學會) highlighted the severity of the current situation, warning of a potential mass resignation of emergency medical personnel. They called for an investigation into the root causes of hospital bed shortages. As of Sunday morning (Feb. 23), Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou (林口長庚醫院) had 127 patients waiting for admission, while National Taiwan University Hospital (台大醫院), Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (高雄長庚), and Chi Mei Medical Center (永康奇美) had 83, 70, and 63 patients, respectively.
The emergency medicine society stressed that the core issue lies in the lack of available inpatient beds, not the influx of patients with minor ailments like influenza or gastroenteritis. Recent closures of hospital wards due to staffing shortages and imbalanced bed allocation have exacerbated the congestion. They urged the government to implement short-term emergency measures, such as increasing the ratio of beds for emergency admissions and enhancing intensive care unit resource management.
Chiu has convened meetings with local health bureaus, major medical centers, and medical associations to address the crisis, maintaining close contact with hospital emergency department directors. He also called for increased staffing in emergency departments and encouraged the public to seek appropriate medical care to alleviate the pressure on emergency services.