Closing Clinics Leave Pregnant Women with Limited Care Options｜TaiwanPlus News

Why It Matters

Worsening clinic closures and shrinking birth rates threaten access to maternal care, particularly in rural areas, creating public-health and equity challenges and pressuring policymakers to intervene to sustain obstetric services.

Summary

A veteran obstetrician in Taiwan says declining births and low National Health Insurance reimbursements have slashed his practice’s deliveries to roughly 40 a month, about a quarter of historical levels, prompting thoughts of closure. Nationwide births have fallen to 7,000–8,000 a month and may drop below 100,000 this year, a new low. That trend has already forced 23 reproductive health clinics to close last year—about 10% of the country’s total—and risks leaving pregnant women outside major cities with few local care options. The government says it will consider responses in the coming weeks as struggling practices await policy action.

Original Description

Faced with a stubbornly low birth rate and limited health insurance reimbursements, obstetrics and gynecology clinics are closing down across Taiwan, leaving pregnant women with fewer choices for prenatal care.

📹 Reporter(s): Klein Wang/Irene Lin/John Van Trieste

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