Dentists form group to support Ma

Keh Chien-fu, president of the federation which is comprised of 24 municipal and county dental organizations, said that more than 400 dentists across Taiwan have pledged to join the association, and that the group will hold its first meeting in October or November.

Chan Chi-hsien, former Department of Health (DOH) chief and superintendent of the Chi Mei Hospital, and former Taipei City Bureau of Health Director Chiu Shu-ti were among leaders in the health and medical community that extended their blessings to the association’s establishment.

Its formation, however, sparked alarm and anxiety from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which customarily enjoys strong support from the majority of physicians and surgeons in Taiwan.

Tu Shin-jer, a DOH chief after the DPP came to power, and other DPP leaders also came to the inauguration of the association to emphasize that Taiwan’s medical community still strongly backs his party.

He told reporters that the DPP still enjoys support from 70 percent to 80 percent of members of the medical community.

Tu is a DPP candidate aiming to take part in the new legislative election in January to become a legislator-at-large.

In fact, the DPP had long learned of the formation of the organization backing the Ma-Siew ticket.

Lee Yin-yuan, former Council of Labor Affairs chairman and presently a campaign manager for DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh, had already met with influential dentists and dental federation officials to cement the relationship.

TDF President Keh acknowledged that the DPP traditionally has gained strong support from Taiwan’s dentists.

But he stressed the dentists are all highly educated intellectuals and they know which party’s health policies can bring reform, leading to better care for the people.

Dentists who have the association backing KMT candidates Ma and Siew expressed dissatisfaction with the DPP’s performance in the past long seven years.

Some of them said they were disillusioned by the prevalent corruption involving senior officials and members of the first family.

President Chen Shui-bian’s daughter is a dentist.

But Chen’s son-in-law, surgeon Chao Chien-ming, and Chao’s father were both sentenced to long imprisonment plus hefty fines by the Taipei District Court and the Taiwan High Court for insider trading.

Chen’s wife and several senior aides are still fighting a court battle after being indicted for alleged diversion of public funds.

Chan recently quit as superintendent of the Chi Mei Hospital in southern Tainan County to dedicated his time and energy to helping Ma and Siew win the election.

He cast doubt on Tu’s assertion that 70 percent to 80 percent of medical workers in Taiwan always back the DPP.

Chan said he does not know how or where Tu or other DPP leaders came up with such a figure.

He emphasized that medical workers are capable of making their own judgement concerning which candidate they like and support.

Concerning the success of forming a dentists association backing the Ma-Siew ticket, Chan attributes the success entirely to the superb image of the two candidates.

He expects his colleagues in other medical lines will take similar actions soon to help Ma win the election.

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