2025/11/10
Ministry of National Defense: Minister Wellington Koo Li-hsiung Presides over Commendation Ceremony for Outstanding Military Medical Personnel and Excellent Medical Support Units, Affirming the Professional Contributions of the Military Medical System
Ministry of National Defense Press Release
Time: 2025 hours, November 10, 2025
On the eve of Physicians’ Day, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo Li-hsiung presided today (November 10) over the “2025 ROC Armed Forces Commendation Ceremony for Outstanding Military Medical Personnel and Excellent Medical Support Units,” personally presenting awards to the honored units and individuals, recognizing the military medical system’s long-standing outstanding contributions in medical services, combat readiness support, and disaster prevention and relief, and extending the highest respect to all medical personnel who have silently dedicated themselves to safeguarding the health of both military and civilian populations.
Minister Koo first pointed out that in recent years, the Medical Affairs Bureau has continuously promoted four major axes — “strengthening medical resilience, enhancing medical quality, sustaining research and innovation, and expanding international exchanges” — with remarkable results. Particularly during the “Typhoon Ragasa” disaster, the Hualien Armed Forces General Hospital, the Tri-Service General Hospital, and medical teams from military hospitals in Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taoyuan, Zuoying, and Songshan, together with medical support units from various operational zones, closely collaborated to rapidly establish medical aid stations in disaster areas, demonstrating the military medical system’s swift mobilization and high professionalism.
Minister Koo also offered four encouragements to the personnel present.
First, to “strengthen wartime medical support and build defense resilience” by promoting the integration of military, public-sector, and private-sector medical resources and field smart medical systems to ensure operational capacity for wartime casualty care.
Second, to “cultivate military medical talent and solidify the medical foundation.” Minister Koo noted that the National Defense Medical College was officially upgraded to the “National Defense Medical University” in August this year, marking a new milestone in military medical education. At the same time, military hospitals are fully implementing the “Healthy Taiwan Deep Cultivation Program,” ranging from smart healthcare and workplace optimization to community care and net-zero carbon reduction, demonstrating that military medicine not only prioritizes combat readiness but also fulfills social responsibility and sustainable development through concrete actions.
Third, to “upgrade medical infrastructure and accelerate smart transformation.” Minister Koo emphasized that modern medical competition has entered the era of intelligence and systematization. As new construction projects at military hospitals are successively completed, the military medical system is simultaneously advancing the “Soaring Medicine Project” and “Smart Medicine Project,” comprehensively enhancing medical capabilities from hardware construction to AI-driven smart healthcare and cybersecurity protection. He also mentioned that Newsweek recently released its “World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2026” ranking, in which the Tri-Service General Hospital made the list for the first time, not only demonstrating international standards but also symbolizing that the quality of ROC Armed Forces medical care now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s top hospitals.
Fourth, to “expand international cooperation and showcase the military medical strength.” Minister Koo commended the Medical Affairs Bureau for its proactive expansion of international exchanges, including leading a delegation to Spain in August this year to attend “the 2026 Annual Conference of the Association for Medical Education in Europe” and signing memoranda of cooperation with the University of Oxford and Imperial College London to deepen academic and clinical research exchanges in military medicine. In addition, 18 international exchange activities were organized this year to promote medical aid and training for allied nations, projecting the international image of “physicians defending the nation with boundless compassion.”
Minister Koo emphasized that today’s commendation is not only an honor but also a responsibility. It is because of everyone’s efforts that the military medical system demonstrates strength on the battlefield, conveys warmth to society, and establishes stature internationally. He encouraged all military medical personnel to continue upholding the spirit of “professionalism, mission, and service,” pursuing excellence and serving as the nation’s most solid backbone.