A visit to the hospital can be a bothersome experience, especially with the long wait and the huge lines, not to mention that most doctors spend very little time on the patients when it comes to the actual consultation. To improve the quality of the medical service, the Department of Health is planning to evaluate the staffing issues at hospitals, and those that are not up to standards will not be able to sign with the National Health Insurance System.

The number for outpatient service have already reached a few hundred, and some people are still willing to wait in line to see a doctor.

They never thought that after the visit is over, they have to stand in line again to get their medicine.

Too many people are visiting the hospital and pharmacists are simply overwhelmed.

Many are hoping that this situation will be improved next year as the Department of Health will evaluate hospital staffing.

The DOH said that in the future, if the numbers of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical technicians, radiologists, rehabilitation instructors, and dieticians are insufficient,

then they will not be included in the National Health Insurance System.

This would, in effect, be a big penalty for medical institutions.

For example, in district hospitals, at least one professional nurse is required for every 4 beds, and 1 pharmacist for every 50 beds.

Additional requirements include one pharmacist for 80 daily outpatient prescriptions.

Enforcing these requirements, it would help improve the quality of medical treatment.

However, due to cost considerations, many hospitals have privately complained that the NHIB did not increase payments to hospitals, making it difficult for them to meet these additional manpower needs.

The DOH says that at the earliest, this new policy could go into effect on December 31st.