Taiwan's Health and Environment Committee presented a special report on medical violence during a session of the Legislative Yuan on the morning of November 26.
Several legislators raised concerns about recent incidents of assaults and armed attacks on healthcare personnel, raising worries that many similar incidents may go unreported.
Democratic Progressive Party legislator Lin Yueh-chin noted that despite years of campaigning for "zero tolerance" against medical violence, statistics show an annual average of 250 such incidents over the past four years in Taiwan.
She stated that these figures showed an urgent need to amend the Medical Care Act, the legislation that criminalizes violence against medical personnel in Taiwan.
Lin argued that the act's scope should include all medical personnel, administrative staff, patients, and visitors in hospitals.
She also asserted that the act's maximum penalties of three years in prison or NT$300,000 in fines for people who threaten or assault medical personnel are too lenient.
The prosecution rate for such violent crime against hospital workers is only 50%, with average sentences of just two to three months.
Several DPP and KMT legislators provided further examples of threats and violence against medical staff in their constituencies and expressed support for amending the act to impose harsher penalties. （Related： Former Taiwanese President Criticizes Current Administration Cross-Strait Policy ｜ Latest ）
When questioned on the current response protocols for such violence, Health Minister Shih Chung-liang stated that hospitals should enforce strict access, immediately report any violent incidents to management, and, in extreme situations, call the police and withdraw to prevent escalation.
