Clipping Board » Medical Affairs and Administration ─ Medical system, pharmaceuticals, and medical community-related reports
Business Weekly, Zhang Jingwen, Xia Jialing, September 24, 2014
In July 2011, an all-English job advertisement appeared in *Taiwan Medical Journal*, the highest-circulation medical magazine in Taiwan. The advertiser was Penang’s largest private hospital, Lam Wah Ee Hospital. This unprecedented ad had far-reaching implications.
By the end of April this year, the Taiwan Medical Association had, for the first time, led a delegation of 20 Taiwanese doctors to visit Malaysia’s Ministry of Health and several top private hospitals. Malaysian health officials immediately stated, “We welcome outstanding Taiwanese specialists to practice medicine in Malaysia!”
Malaysia, a country with a per capita GDP only half that of Taiwan, is very different from what we imagined!
### Recruitment Efforts Began Two Years Ago
50 Mid-Career Taiwanese Doctors Have Gone, Mostly in Critical Care Fields
The first hospitals to recruit in Taiwan were located in Johor Bahru. It is Malaysia’s second most populous city, the capital of Johor state, and the southernmost city on the Eurasian continent.
Here lies the Iskandar Economic Zone, rated by *Time* magazine as “the most capable of transforming Malaysia’s economy.” It is also home to Asia’s only Legoland, the first Hello Kitty-themed park outside Japan, and Southeast Asia’s first Angry Birds park. The newest private hospital in Johor Bahru, Regency Specialist Hospital, has more than half of its doctors from Taiwan.
In recent years, the Malaysian government has significantly relaxed regulations. In 2012, it allowed 100% foreign ownership of hospitals in Malaysia. That same year, it recognized medical degrees from eight Taiwanese universities, including National Taiwan University, Yangming University, National Cheng Kung University, Taipei Medical University, Kaohsiung Medical University, National Defense Medical Center, Chung Shan Medical University, and China Medical University. It also introduced measures such as reduced income tax rates and import car purchase incentives to attract talent.
Around 50 mid-career attending physicians, aged 35 to 45, left Taiwan for Malaysia under this wave of open policies. The majority specialize in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and emergency medicine—the five major critical care fields. Regency currently has 17 doctors from Taiwan. Although these doctors all have overseas Chinese backgrounds, in the past, almost all of them stayed in Taiwan after obtaining their attending physician licenses (called specialist licenses in Malaysia), with very few returning to Malaysia.
### “I Thought About It for Three Months”
Seeing a Colleague Sued and Divorced Finally Made the Decision
Former Tzu Chi neurosurgeon Dr. Chang Min-tsung originally worked at Tzu Chi Hospital in Taichung. He had lived in Taiwan for 18 years, studying, marrying, raising children, and building a career—all in Taiwan.
At first, he thought his life would continue this way peacefully. But one day, he realized that nearly all his colleagues had been taken to court, and it dawned on him that “sooner or later, I’ll be sued too.” Around that time, he saw Regency Hospital’s recruitment ad in Taiwan. He was tempted but hesitant.
In the end, seeing a talented colleague’s medical dispute lawsuit lead to divorce made him decide to leave Taiwan. He moved his family to Johor Bahru and started over from scratch.
In Taiwan, the average monthly salary for attending physicians is around NT$250,000 to NT$300,000. In Malaysia’s private hospitals, which operate under a conditional free-market system (with only a fee cap and flexible pricing within the limit), specialists earn about NT$750,000 to NT$1 million per month, with higher salaries for in-demand fields like general surgery. Factoring in tax rates—Taiwan’s top income tax rate is 40%, possibly rising to 45% next year, while Malaysia offers a preferential rate of 15%—the actual take-home pay is even more substantial.
Work conditions are also vastly different. “I can examine every patient carefully, analyze their condition thoroughly, sometimes even spending an hour on a single patient. None of this would be possible in Taiwan,” said Dr. Chang.
Lai Chunsheng, Vice President of Kaohsiung Medical University, who has visited Malaysia’s healthcare environment multiple times, also noted that doctors here earn high incomes while facing only a tenth of the pressure compared to Taiwan.Native Taiwanese doctors have prepared their documents to apply to the Malaysian Ministry of Health for certification to practice medicine in Malaysia. However, they prefer to proceed discreetly and avoid media exposure, fearing that publicity could jeopardize their chances of working in Malaysia.
Talent is the cornerstone of a society's competitiveness. A wealthy society without talent will eventually decline, while a poor society with talent will eventually prosper. Behind the movement of one, ten, or fifty doctors lies a deeper question: Can Taiwan afford to remain stagnant?
Source: https:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E……6% AB% E7% 94% 9F- 090343545. html
Malaysia Offers Million-Dollar Salaries to Lure Taiwanese Doctors
In July 2011, an all-English job advertisement appeared in *Taiwan Medical Journal*, the highest-circulation medical magazine in Taiwan. The advertiser was Penang’s largest private hospital, Lam Wah Ee Hospital. This unprecedented ad had far-reaching implications.
By the end of April this year, the Taiwan Medical Association had, for the first time, led a delegation of 20 Taiwanese doctors to visit Malaysia’s Ministry of Health and several top private hospitals. Malaysian health officials immediately stated, “We welcome outstanding Taiwanese specialists to practice medicine in Malaysia!”
Malaysia, a country with a per capita GDP only half that of Taiwan, is very different from what we imagined!
### Recruitment Efforts Began Two Years Ago
50 Mid-Career Taiwanese Doctors Have Gone, Mostly in Critical Care Fields
The first hospitals to recruit in Taiwan were located in Johor Bahru. It is Malaysia’s second most populous city, the capital of Johor state, and the southernmost city on the Eurasian continent.
Here lies the Iskandar Economic Zone, rated by *Time* magazine as “the most capable of transforming Malaysia’s economy.” It is also home to Asia’s only Legoland, the first Hello Kitty-themed park outside Japan, and Southeast Asia’s first Angry Birds park. The newest private hospital in Johor Bahru, Regency Specialist Hospital, has more than half of its doctors from Taiwan.
In recent years, the Malaysian government has significantly relaxed regulations. In 2012, it allowed 100% foreign ownership of hospitals in Malaysia. That same year, it recognized medical degrees from eight Taiwanese universities, including National Taiwan University, Yangming University, National Cheng Kung University, Taipei Medical University, Kaohsiung Medical University, National Defense Medical Center, Chung Shan Medical University, and China Medical University. It also introduced measures such as reduced income tax rates and import car purchase incentives to attract talent.
Around 50 mid-career attending physicians, aged 35 to 45, left Taiwan for Malaysia under this wave of open policies. The majority specialize in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and emergency medicine—the five major critical care fields. Regency currently has 17 doctors from Taiwan. Although these doctors all have overseas Chinese backgrounds, in the past, almost all of them stayed in Taiwan after obtaining their attending physician licenses (called specialist licenses in Malaysia), with very few returning to Malaysia.
### “I Thought About It for Three Months”
Seeing a Colleague Sued and Divorced Finally Made the Decision
Former Tzu Chi neurosurgeon Dr. Chang Min-tsung originally worked at Tzu Chi Hospital in Taichung. He had lived in Taiwan for 18 years, studying, marrying, raising children, and building a career—all in Taiwan.
At first, he thought his life would continue this way peacefully. But one day, he realized that nearly all his colleagues had been taken to court, and it dawned on him that “sooner or later, I’ll be sued too.” Around that time, he saw Regency Hospital’s recruitment ad in Taiwan. He was tempted but hesitant.
In the end, seeing a talented colleague’s medical dispute lawsuit lead to divorce made him decide to leave Taiwan. He moved his family to Johor Bahru and started over from scratch.
In Taiwan, the average monthly salary for attending physicians is around NT$250,000 to NT$300,000. In Malaysia’s private hospitals, which operate under a conditional free-market system (with only a fee cap and flexible pricing within the limit), specialists earn about NT$750,000 to NT$1 million per month, with higher salaries for in-demand fields like general surgery. Factoring in tax rates—Taiwan’s top income tax rate is 40%, possibly rising to 45% next year, while Malaysia offers a preferential rate of 15%—the actual take-home pay is even more substantial.
Work conditions are also vastly different. “I can examine every patient carefully, analyze their condition thoroughly, sometimes even spending an hour on a single patient. None of this would be possible in Taiwan,” said Dr. Chang.
Lai Chunsheng, Vice President of Kaohsiung Medical University, who has visited Malaysia’s healthcare environment multiple times, also noted that doctors here earn high incomes while facing only a tenth of the pressure compared to Taiwan.Native Taiwanese doctors have prepared their documents to apply to the Malaysian Ministry of Health for certification to practice medicine in Malaysia. However, they prefer to proceed discreetly and avoid media exposure, fearing that publicity could jeopardize their chances of working in Malaysia.
Talent is the cornerstone of a society's competitiveness. A wealthy society without talent will eventually decline, while a poor society with talent will eventually prosper. Behind the movement of one, ten, or fifty doctors lies a deeper question: Can Taiwan afford to remain stagnant?
Source: https:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ % E……6% AB% E7% 94% 9F- 090343545. html