The Taiwan Medical Alliance for Labor Justice and Patient Safety (TMAL) in a news conference criticized that the National Health Insurance Committee (NHIC) has long been occupied by “perennial” members and urged the government to introduce new legislation to improve the oversight and for the Ministry of Health and Welfare to come up with a new NHIC lineup that allocates at least one seat for the representation of frontline health workers.

Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation (THRF) Chairperson Liu Shu-chiung, a first-time NHIC member, voiced support for the representation of frontline health workers on the NHIC, saying there are vast differences between the stakeholder groups of

hospital owners, hospital management and frontline health workers that must be acknowledged. In addition, Chairperson Liu said that representation must be provided to all stakeholder groups. Chairperson Liu also said that rather than the perennial members, the NHIC’s greatest challenge is a lack of effective internal communication, which has led to the sidelining of the opinions of frontline health workers.

TMAL Director Tseng Chia-lin said that her organization has attended a variety of meetings to convey its resolve to participate in and improve the transparency of the NHIC. However, the TMAL’s appeals were met with replies that the alliance will only be given the opportunity to sit in on NHIC meetings, with no chance of taking a seat to represent frontline health care workers.

Taiwan Anesthesia Union chairman Chu Ning-wei, who is also a former TMAL director, said that currently health care staffers are being represented by hospital associations and hospital superintendents. “As these representatives are drawn from industry employers, there is little chance that changes will be made to address worsening work conditions pf health care professionals.” To gain representation, the TMAL is also planning to establish an umbrella organization that advocate opinions from across all types of health care staffers with the goal of taking a seat on the NHIC.

[2021-4-13/United Daily News]