President Chen attended the banquet celebrating the 39th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons. Full text of his speech follows:
President Lin of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons and Madam Lin, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good evening.
I am greatly pleased to have been invited to attend tonight's banquet celebrating the 39th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons. First of all, on behalf of the government and the 23 million people of Taiwan, I would like to extend a sincere welcome to the 243 leading pediatric scholars and experts from 18 countries who traveled to Taiwan to attend this important medical event. I am confident that this conference will contribute greatly to the enhancement of research, medical care, and education in pediatric surgery around the world.
The Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons was established in Seattle in 1968, with Professor Stephen L. Gans as its first president. The association is now in its 39th year.
Over the past 38 years, the association has held its annual meetings in Pacific Rim countries such as the United States, Japan and Australia. Pediatric surgeons from many nations have attended these meetings, which offered these doctors the opportunity to speak about their papers. Many of these papers have subsequently been published in the internationally renowned Journal of Pediatric Surgery, and have contributed a great deal to the improvement of pediatric surgery and related practices the world over.
With your continued efforts and contributions, the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons has become one of the three largest organizations of its kind in the world, and I would like to congratulate you on your accomplishments.
Pediatric surgery is an important yardstick with which to measure a country's level of medical care and a central component of healthcare for all nations. With its growing economy and the implementation of its National Health Insurance program, Taiwan has set up four children's hospitals and made a special effort to strengthen medical care for infants and toddlers over the past decade. At the same time, health services and medical financial support for infants and toddlers have been offered.
Under Taiwan's system, children under the age of three were eligible to utilize preventive health services up to six times before they reached the age of three. Since July 2004, this program has been expanded such that children may now use these services up to nine times before they are seven. Additionally, we offer newborn congenital metabolic disorder screening; we have established the Supply Center of Special Nutrients and Orphan Drugs for Rare Diseases; we provide medical checks, treatment, and care for infants and toddlers suffering from disease or injury; and we have made comprehensive medical care available for premature babies.
Meanwhile, district hospitals and medical centers have been encouraged to open outpatient clinics capable of treating children with developmental delays. Children with such problems who receive same-day treatment in different departments of any district hospital or medical center with such a clinic need only pay one consultation fee. The health insurance program will cover all other such fees for that day. These measures aim at the early detection and treatment of such problems as well as reducing the financial burden that parents of affected children must bear.
Besides these efforts, the Bureau of National Health Insurance is currently working on a proposal to implement a Diagnosis Related Group (DRG)-based payment system in Taiwan. According to the plan, payments for children's medical care will increase to five percent higher than those for adults to encourage hospitals to give greater attention to healthcare services for infants and toddlers.
The Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons first held its annual meeting in Taiwan in 1988. Eighteen years later, the association has begun its 39th annual meeting again in Taipei. This time, thanks to the sponsorship and support of the Ministry of Education, the Department of Health, the National Science Council, and Taichung's Chinese Medical University and its hospital, this meeting has begun very smoothly. I am deeply grateful for their efforts and would like to express my gratitude to those whose commitment has made it possible.
In closing, on behalf of Taiwan, I would like to once again welcome all the pediatric surgeons who are participating in the 39th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons. I hope that while our distinguished guests are sharing with us your expertise and knowledge during this four-day conference, you will also have time to visit some of Taiwan's scenic spots and experience its unique culture. I wish this meeting great success and all of our distinguished guests health and happiness. Thank you!