The final reading of the public health specialists act passed the Legislature May 15 in Taipei City, spotlighting the government’s continued commitment to improving the well-being of local residents, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Comprising 40 articles, the act defines the qualifications, rights, obligations and scope of operation of a public health specialist.
Since Taipei-based National Taiwan University set up the country’s first department of public health in 1972, Taiwan’s tertiary institutions have trained tens of thousands of public health professionals. For more than four decades, these individuals have shaped the country’s public health landscape by engaging in related policy making, providing health education to communities and taking part in epidemiological research, the ministry said.
Given the country’s economic and social development, the legislation will greatly enhance the ability of Taiwan’s public health system to manage challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it added.
On her official Facebook page, President Tsai Ing-wen lauded the legislation as proof of the government’s belief in rewarding expertise. Taiwan’s success in containing coronavirus is thanks to the dedication of the country’s frontline medical staffers and public health specialists, she added.
By providing more protection to these workers, Tsai said, the legislation will enhance public health awareness and strengthen the country’s disease-fighting network. (SFC-E)