MNA

On the third day of the field-training phase of the Han Kuang 42 Exercise, Vice Minister of National Defense General Chung Shu-ming visited the Fourth Theater of Operations today to inspect a “military, public, and private medical integration” exercise involving casualty evacuation and the relocation of medical capacity. The exercise validated the large-scale relocation and preservation of medical capacity at Armed Forces hospitals, the transfer of existing patients to lower-acuity facilities, and coordination mechanisms with external organizations. Participating units completed all exercise scenarios, demonstrating their ability to integrate medical resources and relocate medical supplies. Accompanied by Director-General of the Medical Affairs Bureau Lieutenant General Chen Yuan-hao and E-Da Hospital Superintendent Tu Yuan-kun, Vice Minister Chung visited the Zuoying Armed Forces General Hospital, Gangshan Veterans Home, Yanchao Emergency Aid Station, and E-Da Hospital. He inspected drills covering casualty evacuation, the relocation of medical supplies, the placement and care of wounded service members, and the transfer of civilian patients to appropriate facilities. In response to the exercise scenarios, participating units completed casualty triage, coordination with receiving and transferring units, applications for traffic priority along evacuation routes, interagency command-and-control communications, the dispatch of evacuation vehicles including mobilized transportation assets, the deployment of personnel including military support teams, and inventories of medical supplies and daily necessities. Through interagency coordination and cooperation, the exercise validated the wartime medical system’s operating mechanisms and emergency response capabilities. During the exercise, the Armed Forces medical system worked closely with local health authorities, veterans care institutions, and private medical facilities. Information sharing, ambulance dispatch, and tiered medical care mechanisms enabled casualties to be rapidly sorted, evacuated, and transferred to suitable medical institutions or accommodation facilities according to their condition. These measures help ensure continuity of care and preserve medical treatment capacity during wartime and disasters. Vice Minister Chung said the military, public, and private medical integration exercise was conducted in conjunction with the field-training phase of the “Han Kuang 42 Exercise.” Coordinated by the Ministry’s Medical Affairs Bureau, it brought together Armed Forces hospitals, private medical institutions, local health centers, and veterans homes to validate civil-military medical coordination mechanisms and response capacity under realistic conditions. The exercise not only demonstrated the progress achieved in integrating military, public, and private medical systems, but also identified a number of areas for improvement. Vice Minister Chung expressed hope that continued exercises would build experience, refine existing mechanisms, and comprehensively strengthen wartime medical support and whole-of-society defense resilience.

Vice Minister of National Defense General Chung Shu-ming today inspected the Armed Forces’ 2026 Fifth Theater of Operations “Military, Public, and Private Medical Integration” Exercise. Designed around realistic combat scenarios, the exercise tested the theater’s medical response capabilities under threat conditions. Participants responded calmly in accordance with standard operating procedures, fully demonstrating the resilience of the integrated medical system. Accompanied by National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan, Vice Chief of Army Lieutenant General Chang Tai-sung, Fifth Theater of Operations Commander Lieutenant General Shao Chih-chun, and Medical Affairs Bureau Director-General Lieutenant General Chen Yuan-hao, Vice Minister Chung visited Taichung Tianhou Temple, the Central Region Resources Branch of the Water Resources Agency, Asia University Hospital, and Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital this morning to observe the exercise. The exercise covered combat casualty care; medical operations at casualty collection points and battalion aid stations; operations at casualty evacuation control points and by forward surgical teams; the delivery of blood products and medical supplies by drone; mass-casualty response; the establishment of underground treatment facilities and walking blood bank operations for the immediate use of freshly donated blood; and the admission and treatment of patients at veterans homes. These activities tested the medical integration mechanism across military, public, and private institutions, as well as the effectiveness of medical support operations. Vice Minister Chung thanked the Taichung City Government, Taiwan Blood Services Foundation, Quanta Computer, and other private-sector participants for contributing to the exercise, which showcased the results of cross-sector cooperation among the military, government, and private sector. Guided by the principle that “even if there is no war for a century, combat readiness cannot be neglected for a single day,” the Armed Forces will continue integrating the capabilities of central and local government agencies and the private sector to strengthen societal and medical resilience and ensure comprehensive wartime preparedness. Vice Minister Chung noted that an integrated military, public, and private medical system must be planned comprehensively in line with each theater’s overall operational concept, assessed threats, and national resilience requirements. Medical resources from the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and local providers must be integrated and appropriately allocated according to the different phases of operations and mission requirements. Civilian expertise in smart healthcare, blood supply, and drone logistics should also continue to be incorporated to enhance wartime medical support and overall medical resilience. Chung explained that the exercise not only tested medical support procedures and interagency coordination, but also provided an important opportunity to determine whether medical resources had been allocated according to actual needs. Its results will be systematically compiled through observation, analysis, and after-action reviews (AARs) to inform further improvements in training and preparedness. He further emphasized that the lessons learned should be used to develop standard operating procedures shared by military and civilian medical systems, giving every theater of operations a consistent framework to follow. Medical integration and support capabilities must continue to be refined, while exercise experience should be institutionalized. This will ensure that medical resources from all sectors can be rapidly integrated during wartime, maximize the effectiveness of medical rescue efforts, and strengthen overall emergency response capabilities.

Vice Minister for Armaments Chung Shu-ming presided over the assumption of office ceremony for the Director-General of the Medical Affairs Bureau today. He encouraged the Medical Affairs Bureau, under the leadership of its new Director-General, Lieutenant General Chen Yuan-hao, to continue advancing four key priorities: strengthening medical resilience, enhancing healthcare quality, sustaining research and innovation, and expanding international exchanges. Through these efforts, he expressed hope that the Bureau would further improve the quality of military healthcare services and medical support operations. The assumption of office ceremony for the Director-General of the Medical Affairs Bureau was held this morning at Bo’ai Camp. During the ceremony, Vice Minister Chung first read the appointment order, after which Lieutenant General Chen took the oath of office and formally assumed his new position. Vice Minister Chung stated that Director-General Chen graduated from the National Defense Medical Center, Class of 1994, and earned a Doctor of Medical Science degree. Throughout his career, he served in several key positions, including Director of the Health Protection Division of the Medical Affairs Bureau, Superintendent of the Songshan Branch of Tri-Service General Hospital, President of the National Defense Medical Center, and Superintendent of Tri-Service General Hospital. Having previously served as Deputy Director-General of the Medical Affairs Bureau, Director Chen was promoted to Director-General and concurrently advanced to the rank of Lieutenant General. Vice Minister Chung noted that Director-General Chen’s extensive professional expertise and leadership experience would enable him to build upon the Bureau’s solid foundation and continue enhancing the quality of military healthcare services and medical professionalism. Vice Minister Chung pointed out that President Lai Ching-te recently presided over the inauguration ceremony of the Emergency and Critical Care Building at the Taoyuan Armed Forces General Hospital and affirmed the Ministry of National Defense’s commitment to safeguarding the health of service members and their dependents. He also noted that the transformation of the National Defense Medical Center into National Defense Medical University demonstrated the military medical system’s significant achievements in talent cultivation, medical education, and military medicine development. Vice Minister Chung emphasized that healthcare and medical support services constituted an essential component of the Armed Forces’ overall logistics system. From disaster response exercises and environmental sanitation maintenance within military units to battlefield triage, casualty treatment, and field medical support operations, all relied on the close cooperation of military medical personnel and medical units. He further noted that medical professionals serving in military hospitals and units at all levels provided daily healthcare and wellness support to service members, making important contributions to sustaining morale and maintaining combat readiness. Finally, Vice Minister Chung encouraged military medical personnel to continue upholding the spirit of serving service members and safeguarding the medical rights and interests of their dependents. He urged them to continuously improve the quality of healthcare services, keep pace with future developments in military medicine, integrate military operational requirements with civilian medical resources, and strengthen military medical technologies and capabilities. Through these efforts, he said, the military medical community would continue providing strong support for the Armed Forces’ combat readiness missions and achieve even greater success in the future.