E-Da Hospital announced as 4th medical center in Kaohsiung-Pingtung region

Taipei, Jan. 24 (CNA) The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Friday formally announced E-Da Hospital in Kaohsiung's Yanchao District as the fourth medical center -- the top-level medical institution in Taiwan's healthcare system -- in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung region.

E-Da Hospital has been accredited as a "quasi-medical center" -- a quality regional hospital being reviewed for the potential to become a medical center -- for seven years, said Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) at a press conference in Taipei, where he announced the hospital's new status.

Promoting the hospital as a medical center is expected to improve healthcare services available to residents in Kaohsiung's mountainous areas and in Pingtung and Penghu counties, places that are "relatively disadvantaged in medical resources," Chiu said.

He said the accreditation system can help improve the quality of medical service providers at various levels and ensure the reasonable allocation of medical resources across different regions in Taiwan.

According to Chiu, E-Da Hospital met the standard required to become Taiwan's 23rd medical center during a review conducted in 2024 of existing medical centers and several regional hospitals in central, southern, and eastern Taiwan.

The hospital joined Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, and Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital to become the fourth medical center in the Kaohsiung-Pingtung region.

However, with the new status patients will have to pay more for clinic visits and emergency services at E-Da Hospital from March 1.

A clinic visit will cost NT$420 (US$12.87) for patients without referrals from a regional hospital or a clinic and NT$170 for those with a referral, compared to the NT$240 and NT$100 E-Da Hospital currently charges, respectively, National Health Insurance Administration Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said during the news conference.

The cost of a visit to the emergency room will increase from NT$400 to NT$750, he added.

Meanwhile, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital in Chiayi County and National Taiwan University Hospital's Yunlin Branch, which has operations in Douliu City and Huwei Township, Yunlin County, received accreditation as quasi-medical centers, according to the health ministry.

Chiu said the new status of these regional hospitals in Yunlin County and Chiayi County should help improve the quality of medical services and resources for emergency care and serious illnesses in the southern region covering both counties and Chiayi City.