TAIPEI: Street protests planned for today by hospital operators and pharmaceutical manufacturers have been put on hold, because of changes at the top of the Department of Health (DOH).

The International Research-based Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (IRPMA) and the Taiwan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (TPMA) planned to mobilize up to 1,000 of their members to protest the decision by the "Bureau of National Health Insurance" (BNHI) decision to cut pharmaceuticals costs by NT$10 billion ($303 million), effective September 1.

"We have decided to suspend the plan for the time being, as the new DOH chief, Yang Chih-liang, will soon assume office," said IRPMA Secretary-General Cheng Hsing.

According to Cheng, the two professional associations decided to take their case to the streets, because outgoing DOH chief Yeh Ching-chuan refused to meet with their representatives to discuss payments for pharmaceutical products.

"It seems that his successor will be more willing to communicate with us on relevant issues; therefore, we will adopt a wait-and-see attitude and will decide later whether or not to go ahead with our protest plans," said Cheng.

She was referring to Yang's remarks a day earlier that he will do his utmost to communicate with local medical service providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers because both groups are patrons of the DOH.

Yeh resigned on Monday in preparation to seek candidacy for the year-end magistrate election in the eastern county of Hualien. He will run under the banner of the ruling Kuomintang.

Yang is a widely respected public health educator, promoter and administrator. He holds a PhD in public health from the University of Michigan and has served as DOH deputy chief and Asia University president.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 08/06/2009 page2)