Taipei Times
Date: Dec 03, 2016
By: Cheng Hung-ta and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The New Power Party (NPP) caucus yesterday proposed amendments to the Physicians Act (醫師法),
New Power Party caucus whip Hsu Yung-ming, second left, attends a news conference in Taipei yesterday to propose revisions to the Physicians Act. Photo: CNA
saying that the regulations limit access to medical resources for elderly people, those with chronic illnesses and people needing long-term care.
NPP caucus whip Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) said advances in technology offer online communications as an alternative to daily meetings and it thinks the government should to look into whether such technology could be used to facilitate long-range medical care.
Article 11 of the act states that doctors must not offer any treatment or prescriptions unless they are in attendance. In an emergency or in cases in remote locations, the local government should appoint a doctor to prescribe medication or offer assistance via telecommunications and authorize medical facilities to carry out any procedure.
The appointment of doctors and the communication method is to be designated by the central government, it says. [FULL STORY]
