熱線追蹤-放射師人力荒 排檢查難等

National Taiwan University Hospital has recently reported severe congestion in CT scan appointments, with waiting times potentially reaching six months. The hospital has acknowledged the existence of this congestion, and one underlying reason is likely related to the loss of qualified radiologists. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of licensed radiologists in Taiwan was 2,796 in 2001, and is projected to increase to 7,655 by 2025, representing a mere 4,859 new hires over 24 years. This means that nearly half of licensed radiologists are not working in the medical field. The underlying reason is likely related to the long working hours but the unsatisfactory salary. For example, radiologists in the "Radiology Department" must cooperate with the hospital's 24-hour operation and work three shifts in shifts. According to statistics from the "National Federation of Medical Radiologists Associations", the average starting salary for new radiologists is less than NT$40,000. Even with more than 10 years of experience, the highest salary is only slightly over NT$50,000. If we further compare with neighboring countries, the salaries of radiologists in Japan and South Korea are about twice that of Taiwan, while in Singapore they are almost three times higher, leading many radiologists to choose to develop their careers overseas.