HUALIEN (TVBS News) — Women cancer patients in eastern Taiwan gained a crucial lifeline Friday (April 11) as Hualien County officials unveiled an expanded fertility preservation program that provides substantial financial support for egg-freezing procedures. The initiative offers subsidies up to NT$60,000 (US$1,829) to female cancer patients under 45 who have maintained residency in the mountainous coastal county for at least six months, responding to concerning trends of cancer affecting younger women and addressing their reproductive health needs.
The county's highest elected official, Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚), underscored the program's significance as a means for female cancer patients to preserve fertility options before undergoing potentially damaging treatments. Qualified patients must first receive specialist evaluation before proceeding with the procedure at medical facilities certified by Taiwan's national Health Promotion Administration. Local health authorities provided technical details about the multi-week process. "The egg-freezing procedure typically requires two to three weeks, encompassing comprehensive assessment, ovulation induction, and follicular maturity tracking," explained Chu Chia-hsiang (朱家祥), who heads the Hualien County Health Bureau (花蓮縣衛生局), the local government agency overseeing public health initiatives.
In a parallel public health initiative, county officials announced financial assistance for infant immunization against a common childhood gastrointestinal illness. Beginning May 1, parents of newborns in Hualien can access subsidies up to NT$2,000 (US$61) for oral rotavirus vaccines administered at participating healthcare facilities. The program receives funding from the Hualien-Taitung Area Sustainable Development Fund (花東地區永續發展基金), a regional development mechanism supporting Taiwan's less urbanized eastern counties. Officials confirmed the subsidy applies regardless of whether parents select the two-dose or three-dose vaccine regimen. ★