《TAIPEI TIMES》 Cabinet appoints Hsueh Jui-yuan as minister of health

By Lee Hsin-fang and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan （薛瑞元） is to succeed Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung （陳時中）, who resigned on Thursday to focus on his Taipei mayoral election campaign, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.

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Hsueh’s vacancy is to be filled by Hospital and Social Welfare Organizations Administration Commission Director Wang Pi-sheng （王必勝）, who is also to take over as head of the Central Epidemic Command Center （CECC）, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng （羅秉成） told a news conference in Taipei, adding that the changes are to take effect on Monday.

CECC specialist advisory panel convener Chang Shan-chwen （張上淳） is to become the Cabinet’s chief pandemic adviser, a newly created position, Lo said.

President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） and Premier Su Tseng-chang （蘇貞昌） created the office following discussions to establish a task force similar to the US’ presidential pandemic response team, he said.

Chen said that Hsueh is uniquely qualified to be minister, as he is licensed to practice law and medicine, making him a top choice to manage the ministry’s complex operations.

Hsueh is also a seasoned medical administrator, having served in the Hospital and Social Welfare Organizations Administration Commission for six years, with special expertise in the integration of healthcare services, national health insurance reform and long-term care, he said.

Regarding Wang, Chen said that he is the most qualified to head the CECC, as he proved himself to be effective in managing the government’s response to local COVID-19 outbreaks while working on the front lines of the center over the past two years.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES