In order to enhance support for occupational injury and disease, labor medical care, and rehabilitation, the Ministry of Labor is actively promoting the accreditation system for designated Specialized Hospitals for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Occupational Injuries and Diseases (SHDTOJD), as well as approved Professional Occupational Rehabilitation Institutions for Workers Suffering from Occupational Accidents (PORIWSOA). Today, separate unveiling ceremonies for these specialized hospitals were held simultaneously in three locations: Taipei (National Taiwan University Hospital), Taichung (China Medical University Hospital), and Kaohsiung (Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital). Minister Mingchun Hsu of the Ministry of Labor declared in the main venue in Taipei that as of January 1, 2023, there are a total of 15 SHDTOJDs and 28 approved PORIWSOAs nationwide. These hospitals provide high-quality medical care and rehabilitation services for workers suffering from occupational accidents.
Previously, the Ministry of Labor managed the responsibilities related to the diagnosis and treatment of occupational injury and disease through yearly procurement and professional commissioning. These tasks were assigned to ten major centers for occupational injury and disease prevention and control across the northern, central, southern, and eastern regions. While significant progress has been made since their establishment, the long-term sustainability of these operations has been hampered by funding constraints and personnel turnover within the responsible hospitals. The recruitment and retention of an adequate number of professionals have proven challenging, making it difficult to ensure the uninterrupted provision of these essential services. Under the guidance of Minister Mingchun Hsu, the Ministry of Labor has been actively involved in promoting the enactment of the "Labor Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act." This legislation officially took effect on May 1st, 2022. The law introduces an accreditation mechanism for medical and rehabilitation services pertaining to occupational injuries and diseases. Eligible medical or rehabilitation institutions have the opportunity to apply for accreditation, and upon successful completion of the statutory process, they are designated as approved SHDTOJDs or PORIWSOAs. In addition, smaller medical institutions with occupational medicine outpatient departments that may have limited resources can also join the network hospitals affiliated with SHDTOJDs. By doing so, they can collectively provide regional occupational injury and disease diagnosis and treatment services, forming a more comprehensive, stable, and high-quality healthcare and rehabilitation network.
The Ministry of Labor has stated that currently the accredited SHDTOJDs include the National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Linkou Branch), China Medical University Hospital, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, National Taiwan University Hospital (Yunlin Branch), Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, totaling 15 hospitals. In addition to the aforementioned hospitals, there are 28 medical institutions that are approved PORIWSOAs, including Cathay General Hospital (Sijhih Branch), Taoyuan Hospital, Tungs' Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, Chi Mei Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Kaohsiung Branch). During the review process, the distribution of these hospitals were carefully considered to ensure regional balance, allowing workers suffering from occupational accidents to have convenient access to related medical, functional rehabilitation and occupational rehabilitation assistance.
The Ministry of Labor urges that according to the Labor Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act, it is clearly stipulated that all employers, regardless of the size of their businesses, should provide occupational accident insurance for their workers. If workers unfortunately suffer from occupational injuries or diseases and have medical, functional rehabilitation, or occupational rehabilitation needs, they are encouraged to make good use of the resources available at specialized hospitals. The complete list of SHDTOJDs and PORIWSOAs is provided in the attachment.
