Taiwan faces surge in emergency room doctor resignations

台灣面臨急診醫師辭職潮

Over 110 ER doctors may quit in 2025 as exits outpace entrants


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — More than 110 emergency room (ER) doctors in Taiwan are considering resignations this year, Cheng Hsin General Hospital Emergency and Critical Care Medicine Division director Tien Chih-Hsueh (田知學) said Sunday.

A survey by the Taiwan Society of Emergency Medicine found around 66 ER doctors resigned in May alone and indicates that more professionals are leaving emergency medicine than entering the field, prompting calls for the government to address the loss of medical talent in the healthcare system, per CNA.

Tien said that while Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system is well-established and has helped treat many patients, most healthcare workers still face challenges such as long working hours, unclear shift arrangements and poor working conditions.

Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital deputy superintendent Hung Tzu-jen (洪子仁) said around 1,700 emergency physicians work in hospitals across Taiwan and noted that the average age of these physicians is rising, reflecting a noticeable decline in young doctors entering the field.

He added that hospitals have been facing ER overcrowding, staff shortages and patients waiting long hours for beds, factors that place significant pressure and risk on ER doctors and could lead to a talent gap in the nation’s emergency care system.

After the Lunar New Year holiday, hospitals began experiencing emergency room overcrowding, and following the Dragon Boat Festival, a rise in COVID-19 cases and an increase in gastrointestinal emergencies have further strained ER capacity, with no signs of relief.

According to the Taipei Doctors Union, although the NHI system increased reimbursements for emergency consultations and intensive care services in May, compensation for medical staff has not been adjusted accordingly.

The union said the government must fully implement a tiered healthcare system to reduce non-urgent cases in ERs and moderately increase pay for medical personnel to address the ongoing shortage.

In response, Health and Welfare Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said the ministry will allocate over NT$4 billion (US$124 million) in June to boost compensation for medical personnel.