News & activities
News releases
On the afternoon of April 18, President Lai Ching-te traveled to Taichung to attend the opening ceremony of the 17th Asia-Pacific Forum of Medical Laboratory Science. In remarks, President Lai stated that medical technologists are like the eyes of the medical system, and more than just a part of the diagnostic process; they are also a major pillar of precision medicine, public health, infection control, and the overall resilience of the healthcare system. He indicated that as Taiwan faces major challenges, including its transition into a super-aged society, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and the impacts of extreme weather, the government is expanding investment and adopting smart technologies in healthcare to advance the goals of the Healthy Taiwan initiative. The president expressed hope to further enhance the quality of Taiwan’s healthcare services and drive non-stop innovation and development in the biomedical industry, and collaborate to benefit people’s health.
A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows:
This year marks the 17th Asia-Pacific Forum of Medical Laboratory Science. To begin, let me thank the Taiwan Association of Medical Technologists for its continued promotion of professional exchanges and international collaboration. I would also like to thank all the distinguished guests gathered here. Your strong support over the years has helped make this meaningful forum an important platform for medical laboratory science in the Asia-Pacific region.
I want to extend a warm welcome to the experts in the field who have made the long journey to join us here. Your gathering here in Taiwan boosts scholarly exchanges and demonstrates the Asia-Pacific region’s commitment to collaborating for people’s health.
Medical technologists are like the eyes of the medical system. Many areas, from early disease discovery and clinical diagnostics, to risk assessment and post-treatment monitoring, depend heavily on your professional analysis and interpretation. You all stand on the frontline of medical care and are a key force in the development of smart medicine.
This year’s forum takes “Smart, Sustainable, and Resilient” as its central theme, guiding this profession into a new era; it is also an important path of development for medicine around the world.
New technologies are changing the face of medical services, whether it’s AI-assisted diagnosis, smart laboratories, or automated testing; they are also allowing us to discover problems earlier and provide care with higher precision.
This is very important, as Taiwan faces major challenges, including our transition into a super-aged society, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and the impacts of extreme weather. We must harness digital technologies and AI to build a smart health system that covers all age groups and all settings, a system with proactive early warning and real-time response capabilities. This will drive the transformation of our healthcare model from treatment-centered care to one that prioritizes prevention and health promotion.
This is also a core objective of our government’s Healthy Taiwan initiative. We aim to leverage Taiwan’s high-tech advantages and biomedical expertise by expanding investment and adopting smart technologies in healthcare. This will help us further enhance the quality of our healthcare services, and drive non-stop innovation and development in the biomedical industry.
As we promote this initiative, the role of medical laboratory sciences will only grow more vital. Medical technologists are more than just a part of the diagnostic process. They are also a major pillar of precision medicine, public health, infection control, and the overall resilience of our healthcare system.
I encourage you all to continue to deepen professional collaboration, [and] strengthen your help. We should work together – then our care system will go forever, and people’s health will be protected and developed. Thank you very much.
