University hospitals in the Republic of China.

Abstract

At the present time there are two university hospitals, and five independent medical college hospitals in the Republic of China. Under the Law of Higher Education, a physician professor is assigned to preside over each hospital. University hospitals usually operate in a closed and self-efficient system. Their staff personnel structure is also in a closed system. Most of the private medical college hospitals suffer from financial difficulty in recruiting highly qualified teaching staff, introducing new technology and new hospital construction. University hospitals also are facing new challenges of competition that demand them to provide a cost-effective, high-quality and convenient patient care system. However, university hospitals not only provide education and training as teaching institutions, but also serve a major role in supporting the national medical policy for the development of a new medical care network to meet the need for a nationalized medical care system in the future.