President Chen Shui-bian attended the presentation ceremony of the "16th Medical Devotion Award," and on behalf of the country and the citizens extended his gratitude to the winners for their long-time love devoted to the needy.
The winners of this year's award included nine medical personnel and one civic association. Among the ten winners, Csarszar George, a Hungarian priest who came to Taiwan in 1956 and established a hospital for the elderly, the poor, and the ill, died in extreme poverty many years ago in Taiwan. To Csarszar George and the other award winners, the president showed his deepest respect.
Taiwan, once ranked as the second healthiest country in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit of the United Kingdom, should be proud of its medical care quality and services provided to the public. "However," the president said, "we should be more concerned over the inadequate reflection of the local and individual needs on the nominal data than merely feeling satisfied." Therefore, the president particularly pointed out that integration, allocation and application of medical resources have all together become a serious issue that needs further consideration.
Currently, Taiwan is facing dual challenges: the impact of the national health insurance's reform and the threats imposed by avian flu. Therefore, through awarding these medical personnel, the president wished to cheer those others who also devote themselves to providing medical and nursing services.
"You are leading us to the land of a health utopia," the president concluded, praising the winners in his remarks at the ceremony.