Hospitals prefer to treat patients with minor conditions or those needing expensive surgeries, a foundation for health reform said. It is estimated that more than 3,700 people with first-degree injuries each year are stuck in emergency units for 2 days before they are transferred to inpatient beds in hospitals, the Taiwan Health Reform Foundation said on April 15.
That figure is 5 times the time needed for an Australian hospital to make the same transfer, the foundation said.
Foundation CEO Joanne Liu said all 3 problems could be traced back to one factor: hospitals’ preference to treat patients with minor conditions due to staff shortages or those requiring expensive surgeries because they bring in more revenue. |
