❓ Questioning the Health Ministry's Taroko Express Donation Account: Human Error Shouldn't Be Fully Borne by the Public, Demanding Explanation of Billion-Dollar Fund Flow

A commentary circulating in National Taiwan University alumni groups questions the Health Ministry's qualifications and necessity for opening a donation account following the Taroko Express accident. The author emphasizes the accident is 'human error,' with victims should receive compensation and insurance payments from the responsible party (Taiwan Railways), not rely on public donations. The article expresses high distrust regarding fund usage, worrying it will be used to compensate for Taiwan Railways losses or benefit specific parties (such as creating useless art installations), and sternly demands the Health Ministry explain why only one-third of donations went to victims, with the remaining billions of dollars' specific use.

April 16, 2021

Medical Device Price Ceiling: Is the Health Ministry Doing Right by the People, or Driving Out Foreign Manufacturers to Protect Domestic Counterfeit Competitors?

This article criticizes the controversy surrounding Health Minister Chen Shih-chung's promotion of 'medical device price ceiling limits,' arguing it is a 'clockwise government' restricting people's constitutionally-protected right to purchase high-quality advanced medical devices at their own expense. The author points out that advanced medical devices are mostly imported from abroad, priced high but with superior quality and effectiveness, while domestic and mainland manufacturers mostly produce low-cost 'roadside stall quality' counterfeit products. Setting price ceilings will drive out foreign manufacturers, forcing citizens to choose less effective domestic and mainland cheap goods while letting domestic manufacturers reap exorbitant profits. The author questions whether this policy aims to protect cross-strait medical device merchants' cash flow and actual-expense medical insurance, and worries Taiwan will be forced to wait for mainland counterfeit advances in foreign technology,

June 13, 2020